DESK AMERICA'S NEWS NOW I'M JAN JEFFCOAT. IT IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, AND THIS MORNING FRANCINE HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM HER IMPACTS, THOUGH EXPECTED TO BE FELT OBVIOUSLY ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES FOR DAYS AND WEEKS TO COME. MARK BOYLE AT THE LIVE DESK FOLLOWING THE PATH OF THE STORM. HE'S TRACKING IT FOR US AND MARK, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME MAJOR POWER OUTAGES WHERE SHE'S ALREADY SWEPT THROUGH THE AREA AND THAT'S EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. >>AND THOSE NUMBERS COULD GO UP JAN LATER THIS AFTERNOON. STORM SURGE IS ALSO A BIG DEAL RIGHT NOW. THIS MORNING FRANCINE ALREADY CAUSING MAJOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS THE COAST BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, THE RESIDENTS THERE, THEY'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS. POWERFUL FLOODS STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS BLACKOUTS ACROSS LOUISIANA TO MY LEFT. A LIVE LOOK THIS MORNING OVER MISSISSIPPI. THIS CAMERA HAS CALMED DOWN IN THE PAST 60 MINUTES OR SO. IT WAS SHAKING A LOT EARLIER THIS MORNING AS THAT STORM CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTH, WE HAVE SOME NEW VIDEO AS WELL. THIS IS OUT OF HOUMA, LOUISIANA. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT POWERFUL WIND MOVED THROUGH BLOWING ALL THESE TREES AROUND RIGHT THERE. AND THEN THERE ARE THE NATIONAL DESK RADAR IMAGES THAT WE'VE BEEN MONITORING SEVERAL ALERTS UP THIS MORNING YOU CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE RAIN IS PULLING NORTH AWAY FROM THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF, WHICH GIVES IT THAT FUEL. SO THE STORM IS LOSING ITS PUNCH RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, TAKE A LOOK AT THE POWER OUTAGE SITUATION JUST UPDATED THESE NUMBERS. LOUISIANA ABOUT 390,000 CUSTOMERS IN THE DARK. MISSISSIPPI 51,000. ALABAMA. THIS NUMBER INCREASING WITHIN THE PAST 30 MINUTES. NOW OVER 12,000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER RIGHT NOW. NEW ORLEANS OFFICIALS ASKING PEOPLE STILL THIS MORNING TO CONSERVE WATER. THAT'S BECAUSE ONE OF THE PUMP STATIONS THERE HAS EXPERIENCED ISSUES. THERE ARE NO POWER COMING IN, POWER OUTAGES CAUSING ISSUES WEDNESDAY, CONDITIONS WERE SO POOR, THE CITY ACTUALLY SUSPENDED EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AROUND 730 LAST NIGHT AND POLICE SAY CELL PHONE USERS FOR AT&T AND T-MOBILE HAD PROBLEMS CALLING IN TO 911 BY THIS AFTERNOON. THOSE SEVERE THREATS WILL NOW SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST. AREAS LIKE MONTGOMERY AND BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AND ALSO DESTIN AND TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA WILL DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE STORMS TODAY. SEVERAL AIRLINES ALREADY CANCELING FLIGHTS JACKSON AIRPORT IN MISSISSIPPI POSTING A MESSAGE ON X FOR CUSTOMERS FOR SOUTHWEST AND UNITED AMERICAN TO CONTACT THE CARRIER DIRECTLY. IF YOU'RE FLYING IN NEW ORLEANS OR HOUSTON'S BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL, YOU COULD RUN INTO SOME SLOWDOWNS THERE. HERE'S A LOOK AT WHERE FRANCINE IS HEADED NEXT AS IT CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTH. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO LOSE STRENGTH FROM THAT TROPICAL STORM DESIGNATION TO THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BY FRIDAY. THIS IS WHERE THE STORM WILL BE NEAR TENNESSEE. SUSTAINED WINDS RIGHT AROUND 2