Francine was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday after hitting the Louisiana coast as a powerful Category 2 hurricane Wednesday, with 100 mph winds that tore roofs off buildings and trapped dozens of residents inside their homes amid rising floodwaters from torrential rains.
The eye of Hurricane Francine moved ashore at 5 p.m. CT in Terrebonne Parish, pushing hurricane-force wind gusts to southern parts of the state near Baton Rouge.
Winds were gusty across the region as Francine approached, made landfall and moved inland Wednesday and Thursday. New Orleans reported wind gusts of 78 and 76 mph, while Dulac reported a gust of 97 mph and Eugene Island saw the highest wind gust at 105 mph.
Between strong winds and heavy rainfall, Tropical Depression Francine is now responsible for plunging more than 400,000 utility customers in Louisiana and Mississippi in the southeast of the country into darkness.
A rare flash flood emergency was issued Wednesday night for parts of metropolitan New Orleans, where 0.50 inches of rain fell in just 9 minutes and 4.5 inches of rain in just 3 hours, causing life-threatening flooding.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) officially experienced its second-wettest September day on record on Wednesday, with 7.2 inches of rain. It was also the city’s ninth-wettest day since 1946.
Dozens rescued in Lafourche Parish as floodwaters soar
The relentless rains that have been hitting the region have led to widespread reports of flooding, trapping residents in their homes as the waters rise higher and higher.
According to information provided by Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre, more than two dozen people, including children, had to be rescued from the floods.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to calls from residents who were trapped in their homes in Thibodaux as flooding cut off evacuation routes.
All residents were safely evacuated and taken to an emergency shelter.
Power outage in Saint-Charles parish during live update
Utility companies cannot respond to make repairs and attempt to restore power until conditions improve across the region.
As of Thursday morning, more than 388,000 customers were in the dark in Louisiana, while power outages began to spike in Mississippi.
Mississippi is reporting nearly 53,000 power outages Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell was on Facebook Live Wednesday night to provide important updates to residents when the room was plunged into darkness.
“Are we still here?” Jewell asked.
“We’re live,” someone replied.
Moments later, the lights came back on, but it was a reminder that even as the worst effects of the storm eased, the dangers remained.
“Here’s your backup generator back up and running,” Jewell said. “We still have a lot of rain and wind, as you can see.”
Travel impacted, curfew in effect
As Francine raged through the region, travel was significantly impacted due to flooded roads and cancelled flights.
AP
Officials at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport said that while the airport would remain open, all flights to and from the area were canceled Wednesday, and more flights were canceled Thursday morning.
“Airlines are determining if and when to cancel flights or resume operations based on weather conditions in the area,” airport officials said in an update. “Passengers scheduled to travel in the coming days are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information before traveling to the airport.”
Some parishes also issued mandatory curfews that began Wednesday and last through at least Thursday morning, including in Cameron Parish, where flooding occurred ahead of Hurricane Francine’s landfall.
AP
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Louisiana ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.
“After declaring a state of emergency, we have now determined that this storm is of such intensity that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of state and local governments,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said. “This federal assistance is needed to save lives and property.”
Where is Francine going next?
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Francine is expected to gradually shift to a northerly direction, with its speed decreasing. Along this track, the center of Tropical Depression Francine will move across parts of central and northern Mississippi through early Friday.
Weather warnings, including wind advisories, flood warnings and other hazardous weather forecasts, have been issued as far south as Missouri in the north and as far east as Tennessee as what remains of the tropical cyclone makes its way across the South.
Including Francine, eight hurricanes have made landfall in Louisiana since 2000. FOX weather correspondent Robert Ray has covered most of those hurricanes.
“These people are tough as nails,” Ray said from Houma, Louisiana, on Wednesday.
Francine became a hurricane on September 10, marking the peak of the 2024 hurricane season, the period when a named storm is most likely to move into the Atlantic basin. As Francine heads north and eventually dissipates, the NHC is also tracking several other systems in the Atlantic.
Francine is the third hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States during the 2024 season. Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Matagorda, Texas, on July 8 as a Category 1 storm. About a month later, Hurricane Debby strengthened to Category 1 before making landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on August 5.
