now moving on storm Fran scine has become a category one hurricane as it turned toward south southern US state of Louisiana it is threatening Storm surges rain and flooding along the Gulf Coast according to the National Hurricane Center the storm packs sustained winds of 120 km per hour and is currently situated 150 Mi east of the mouth of the Rio grund the hurricane warning is in place for part of the Louisiana coast the NHC has warned the storm can intensify rapidly over the Gulf of Mexico but it is due to weaken quickly once it makes landfall the NC has forecast a lifethreatening storm surge across the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines as well as heavy rainfall and flooding across the Gulf Coast the to the Florida Panhandle by Thursday satellite imagery show tropical storm turning across the Gulf of Mexico before its expected landfall on the US Gulf Coast Francine was int in ifying and is on track to become a hurricane the Mississippi Emergency Management agency shows footage of a forklift driver stacking sandbags for tropical storm of fren's arrival [Music] New Orleans area residents and volunteers lined up at the dryades YMCA filling sandbags to prevent flooding at their homes all right brother than I think the fact that we've been spared mostly the from any M of storm it's like uh now people are ready to go getting getting a planning and help each other out so I don't really sense where he is you know I think there's a lot of energy to to prepare and and help each other Louisiana governor Jeff Landry requested that US President Joe Biden declare a state of emergency Mississippi's Governor said that he has declared a state of emergency in his State the Louisiana National Guard said on social media X that it was mobilizing helicopters boats and supplies for evacuations and Sur and rescue residents in Louisiana are preparing for the imminent arrival of storm Fran scine which is currently turning across the Gulf of Mexico authorities called for a mandatory evacuation of residents in coastal communities schools were closed and officials distributed sandbags we out here Shing sand for the storm cuz in 2016 we had a horrible storm you know it messed over everything everybody house has got oh reconstru DED everybody houses got flooded I guess ain't nobody having no sandbags so we out here getting some sandbags today Louisiana bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina which was one of the most devastating hurricanes in the US History killing more than 1,800 people in 2005 the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season which begins on June 1st and will end on November 30th is expected to be busy but has seen just three hurricanes so far [Music]