Francine crashed on the Louisiana coast A Category 2 hurricane hit the country late Wednesday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers and threatening widespread flooding, while a potentially deadly storm surge moved inland along the Gulf Coast. Although it quickly weakened to a tropical storm, it was very powerful.
Francine crashed in Terrebonne Parish, about 30 miles southwest of Morgan City, according to the National Hurricane Center. announced at 4:00 p.m. CDTWith maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, the storm then struck a fragile coastal region that has not fully recovered from a series of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.
Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham said Francine quickly flooded streets, snapped power lines and brought down tree branches.
Matthew Hinton / AP
“It’s a bit worse than I expected, to be honest with you,” Cockerham said of the attack. “I’ve taken all my trucks back to the station, it’s too dangerous to be out there in these conditions.”
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.
More than 330,000 customers were without power in Louisiana Wednesday night, according to utility tracking website PowerOutage.us.
Television news broadcasts in coastal communities across Louisiana showed waves from nearby lakes, rivers and Gulf waters crashing against levees. Water poured into city streets and neighborhoods in blinding rains. Oaks and cypress trees leaned in the strong winds, and some power poles swayed back and forth.
Those hardest hit by the power outages were Terrebonne Parish, near where the storm’s center made landfall, as well as neighboring St. Mary Parish, which includes Morgan City.
Detective Lt. David Spencer, a spokesman for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, told CBS News in an email that the parish was “experiencing more flooding than initially anticipated.”
Spencer said the area was suffering from downed trees and power lines and damage to homes.
“Some of our roofs were severely damaged or even destroyed,” Spencer wrote, adding that no injuries had been reported.
Francine was centered about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of New Orleans and had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (112 km/h) late Wednesday night, according to the hurricane center. It was moving northeast at 15 mph (25 km/h).
Laura Leftwich, who took shelter at her mother’s house outside Morgan City, said gusts of wind blew away two large birdhouses outside. She had a generator that powered an internet connection so she could video chat with friends, holding her computer up to a window to show them the water overflowing onto the street.
If the storm had been more intense, “I wouldn’t have had the courage to look outside,” said Leftwich, 40. “It’s a little scary.”
Louisiana Prepares for the Worst
Terrebonne Parish President Jason Bergeron told CBS News Wednesday that the samples were holding, but the water was rising.
“The ground is saturated with water and since the collection system is closed, the water has more difficulty draining away, except in certain areas that have pumps,” explained Mr. Bergeron.
Laura Leftwich, who took shelter at her mother’s house outside Morgan City, said gusts of wind blew away two large birdhouses outside. She had a generator that powered an internet connection so she could video chat with friends, holding her computer up to a window to show them the water overflowing onto the street.
If the storm had been more intense, “I wouldn’t have had the courage to look outside,” said Leftwich, 40. “It’s a little scary.”
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) urged residents to stay indoors overnight as Francine moves inland. The storm’s projected path includes New Orleans, where forecasters said the eye of the storm could pass.
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“Conditions are going to deteriorate very quickly over the next few hours,” Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the hurricane center, said in an online briefing ahead of the hurricane’s arrival. “It’s not going to be a good night to be on the roads, especially when the sun goes down.”
Torrential rains began falling in New Orleans Wednesday morning and are expected to intensify as Francine approaches. New Orleans could see up to 10 inches of rain, putting a strain on the city’s pumping and drainage system.
“Stay inside, hide,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a news conference Wednesday. “This is the time, between now and midnight.”
A flash flood emergency has been declared for New Orleans, Metairie and Kenner until 11:45 p.m. local time, the National Weather Service said.
Francine should weaken quickly
Francine drew its energy from the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening into a Category 2 storm hours before making landfall, the National Hurricane Center said. Category 2 hurricanes are classified as having winds of 96 to 110 mph that can cause significant damage.
Still dangerous, the hurricane began to weaken as it moved inland, weakening within two hours to a Category 1 storm with peak winds of 85 mph (135 km/h). Francine continued to move northeast at a rapid 17 mph (27 km/h) toward New Orleans, about 55 miles (88 km) away.
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It is expected to weaken further as it moves north across Mississippi on Thursday, with widespread rain in the coming days causing potential flash flooding in cities including Jackson, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, Memphis, Tennessee, and Atlanta. It has also raised fears of tornadoes.
Much of Louisiana and Mississippi could get 4 to 8 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches possible in some areas, said Brad Reinhart, senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the National Guard would deploy to parishes affected by Francine, with food, water, nearly 400 emergency vehicles, about 100 boats and 50 helicopters on hand to respond to the storm, including for possible search and rescue operations.
Louisianans have experience with hurricanes
Since the mid-19th century, some 57 hurricanes have passed through or made landfall in Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel. They include some of the strongest, costliest and deadliest storms in U.S. history.
Morgan City, population about 11,500, sits on the banks of the Atchafalaya River in southern Louisiana and is surrounded by lakes and marshes. Its website describes it as “the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico for the shrimp and oil industries.”
Luis Morfin, 26, left his RV outside the Morgan City levee to seek shelter at a friend’s house Wednesday night. The wind whipped through the windows as they watched television powered by a generator. The power was out, but they were ready to cook steaks and potatoes on a propane stove.
“We knew what to expect,” Morfin said. “I don’t know how good my RV is, but we’ll find out tomorrow.”
President Biden declared a state of emergency to help Louisiana quickly get federal funding and assistance. Landry and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves also declared states of emergency.
According to the Miami-based hurricane center, a hurricane warning was in effect along the Louisiana coast from Cameron to Grand Isle, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of New Orleans. A storm warning extended from the Mississippi-Alabama border to the Alabama-Florida border.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said it has distributed more than 100,000 sandbags in the southern part of the state, and the Department of Education reported a number of school district closures for Wednesday and Thursday.
The sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Francine has triggered storm surge warnings for the Louisiana coast that could reach 10 feet from Cameron to Port Fourchon and into Vermilion Bay, forecasters said.
