Louisiana is bracing for Hurricane Francine as the storm grows in power over the Gulf of Mexico before its expected landfall on Wednesday.
Francine strengthened from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday and is expected to have reached Category 2 when it hits Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Francine will bring 4-8 inches (10-20cm) of rainfall, potential tornadoes and damaging winds to much of central and eastern Louisiana, forecasters said.
The hurricane is expected to bring “considerable” flash and urban flooding in parts of Louisiana, including New Orleans, the NHC warned.
Francine’s development follows a quiet August and early September during the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically lasts until November.
“The previous named storm in the region was Ernesto, back on 12 August,” she said.
“The last time we had no named storms during this same period was back in 1968.
Usually, this time of the year is peak hurricane season.
As of Tuesday evening, Tropical Storm Francine, the sixth named storm of 2024, was about 360 miles (579km) southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, a town overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
There were 19 named storms in last year’s hurricane season.
As the storm intensifies over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall on Wednesday, Louisiana is getting ready for Hurricane Francine.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated that Francine intensified on Tuesday from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane and is anticipated to have reached Category 2 when it makes landfall in Louisiana.
In anticipation of landfall, states of emergency have been declared in neighboring Mississippi and Louisiana.
Many parts of central and eastern Louisiana are expected to experience damaging winds, probable tornadoes, and 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) of rainfall due to Hurricane Francine.
Significant flash flooding is possible in the wettest areas, where rainfall of up to 12 inches (300 mm) is possible.
Residents in western Florida, southern Alabama, eastern Louisiana, and Mississippi were alerted to a potentially fatal storm surge and asked to complete their hurricane preparations by Tuesday night.
Water could potentially rise from the coast and move inland in the event of a storm surge. Water levels can rise as much as 10 feet (3 meters) in certain locations.
The NHC’s director, Michael Brennan, gave an update on Tuesday, saying, “You’re going to want to be in your safe space to ride out the storm likely by tonight.”.
He went on to say that everyone should have a plan in place to take cover until Thursday.
In areas of Louisiana, including New Orleans, the hurricane is predicted to cause “considerable” flash and urban flooding, the NHC warned.
Orders to evacuate have been issued for several of the state’s coastal parishes, either voluntarily or involuntarily. In addition to US oil and gas companies on the Gulf of Mexico, such as Exxon Mobil and Shell, evacuating employees and pausing some operations, several schools and colleges have already closed.
Inland up to the west of the New Orleans metropolitan area, Mr. Brennan warned residents to anticipate widespread power outages, tree damage, and structural damage.
It was Hurricane Katrina that killed over 1,800 people and left massive destruction 19 years ago, and Louisiana just celebrated this anniversary.
TX, which is nearby, is also getting ready for the storm. On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott asked the populace to follow any instructions given by local authorities, including any potential orders to evacuate.
According to Abbott, “the predicted pathway of a storm like this doesn’t always turn out to be true,” even though it is anticipated that the potential hurricane will make landfall in Louisiana. “. .
Because of this, he said, “we need to be ready for the possibility that conditions could change.”.
He said that his state has sent out water rescue teams and mobilized resources, and it is ready to call in the National Guard for assistance if necessary.
The development of Francine comes during the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually lasts until November, after a calm August and early September. Analysts had forecast a busier season earlier this summer.
The hurricane came after “a very quiet spell of weather in the Atlantic basin,” according to BBC meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas.
She stated, “Ernieo was the last named storm to hit the area on August 12.”.
“We didn’t have any named storms during this time frame the last time was in 1968. It is typically hurricane season at this time of year. Nine storms with names formed last year between August 13 and September 8. “.”.
The sixth named storm of 2024, Tropical Storm Francine, was situated approximately 360 miles (579 km) southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, a town with a view of the Gulf of Mexico, as of Tuesday night.
A scale of one to five is used to classify hurricanes. With winds of more than 157 mph (250 km/h), category five storms are the most destructive.
In the hurricane season of the previous year, there were 19 storms with names.
