9 months ago
32
(NewsNation) — Francine was rapidly downgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday nighttime aft making landfall on the Gulf Coast arsenic a Category 2 hurricane.
The tempest strategy knocked retired energy to implicit a quarter-million Americans and threatened wide flooding passim the region.
Now, the tempest continued to determination inland Thursday implicit southeastern Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, bringing dense rainfall to Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A tempest surge informing remains successful effect for Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border; Lake Maurepas; and Lake Pontchartrain.
Francine makes landfall
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: The Brown household basal connected a country portion waiting for instrumentality enforcement aft their powerfulness went down successful the Polk Street vicinity connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: First Responders with the Coteau Fire District coordinate portion clearing debris aft Hurricane Francine swept done the country connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
DULAC, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Floodwater fills a cemetery arsenic Hurricane Francine moves successful connected September 11, 2024 successful Dulac, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine maintains its Category 1 classification and is projected to marque landfall on the Louisiana seashore aboriginal this afternoon. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
DULAC, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: A roadworthy is blocked disconnected up of Hurricane Francine's accomplishment connected September 11, 2024 successful Dulac, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine maintains its Category 1 classification and is projected to marque landfall on the Louisiana seashore aboriginal this afternoon. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Lekenya McKay sweeps floodwater retired of her location connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Isaiah Brown comforts his younger member Malachi aft their powerfulness went down successful the Polk Street vicinity connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Signage is strewn crossed the intersection aft Hurricane Francine swept done the country connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: First Responders with the Coteau Fire District wide hanging histrion branches aft Hurricane Francine swept done the country connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Isaiah Brown sits successful his country nether battery-powered ornaments aft the powerfulness went down successful his vicinity connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: A archetypal responder drives done municipality aft the powerfulness went down connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: A fallen histrion blocks an intersection connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: A fallen histrion blocks an intersection connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
HOUMA, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 11: Isaiah Brown comforts his younger member Malachi aft their powerfulness went down successful the Polk Street vicinity connected September 11, 2024 successful Houma, Louisiana. Hurricane Francine has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane and continues to marque landfall on the Louisiana coast. Weather analysts are predicting 90mph winds adjacent the oculus and a beardown tempest surge on the coast. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Having ne'er earlier experienced the almighty forces of a hurricane, meteorologist Max Claypool of Memphis, Tenn. tries to spot if the almighty winds blowing from the Hurricane Francine oculus partition could assistance him further successful the aerial connected Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024, Houma, La. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a location occurrence during Hurricane Francine successful Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a location occurrence during Hurricane Francine successful Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a location occurrence during Hurricane Francine successful Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Francine crashed ashore Wednesday successful Terrebonne Parish, astir 30 miles southwest of Morgan City. Packing apical sustained winds adjacent 100 mph, the hurricane battered a fragile coastal portion that hasn’t afloat recovered from a bid of devastating hurricanes successful 2020 and 2021.
Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham said the hurricane rapidly flooded streets, snapped powerfulness lines and sent histrion limbs crashing down.
Power outages successful Louisiana topped 261,000 hours aft landfall, dispersed wide crossed southeast Louisiana. Blackouts affected the bulk of homes and businesses successful coastal parishes nearest wherever the tempest came ashore arsenic good arsenic their inland neighbors, according to the tracking tract poweroutage.us.
Preparing for Hurricane Francine
Rainwater accumulates astir Nolan and Macie Melancon arsenic they capable up sandbags for their location located a fewer miles distant successful Houma, La., arsenic the portion gets acceptable for the accomplishment of Hurricane Francine connected Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Chris Granger /The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Lindsey Ranney and her canine Fig capable the trunk of Ranney's car with sandbags successful mentation for Hurricane Francine from a heap of soil provided by Harrison County astatine the extremity of Courthouse Boulevard successful Gulfport, Miss. connected Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Hannah Ruhoff/The Sun Herald via AP)
Melanie Galindo's hairsbreadth flies successful the swirl of fast-moving aerial arsenic the oculus partition of Hurricane Francine crosses into the Houma country successful Louisiana connected Wednesday, September 11, 2024. (Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune via AP)
Orleans Levee District Police patrol Lakeshore Drive on Lake Ponchartrain arsenic upwind and rainfall prime up from Hurricane Francine successful New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Conrad Bach gets doused with water h2o portion looking astatine waves from the upwind and rainfall from Hurricane Francine on Lakeshore Drive on Lake Ponchartrain successful New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
A lawsuit buys h2o astatine a mostly boarded up Birdies Food and Fuel, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, successful Luling, La., up of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Sparse postulation moves on Interstate 10, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, adjacent Frenier Landing, La., up of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
This GOES-16 GeoColor outer representation taken astatine 4:01 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Francine arsenic it approaches landfall implicit Louisiana, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, successful Baton Rouge, La., arsenic the authorities of Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Francine's arrival. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)
Dulac residents, apical left, beryllium connected their beforehand structure arsenic they ticker h2o emergence astir their elevated location arsenic the effects of Hurricane Francine are felt on the Louisiana seashore connected Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson speaks Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, successful Baton Rouge, La., arsenic the authorities of Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Francine's arrival. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)
A lawsuit enters a state presumption that is boarded up successful anticipation of Hurricane Francine, successful Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The National Hurricane Center urged residents to enactment sheltered overnight arsenic the weakening hurricane churned inland. The storm’s projected way included New Orleans, wherever forecasters said the storm’s oculus could walk through.
The sixth named tempest of the Atlantic hurricane season, Francine drew substance from exceedingly lukewarm Gulf of Mexico waters, strengthening to a Category 2 tempest with winds exceeding 96 mph successful the hours earlier landfall.
Three hours aft landfall, it hardly remained a hurricane with apical sustained winds down to 75 mph. Francine was moving northeast astatine a accelerated clip of 17 mph connected a way toward New Orleans, astir 50 miles away.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the National Guard would instrumentality retired to parishes impacted by Francine. They person food, water, astir 400 high-water vehicles, astir 100 boats and 50 helicopters to respond to the storm, including for imaginable search-and-rescue operations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
