A tropical storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico early this week has strengthened into a Category 2 Hurricane named Francine and has made landfall along the coast of the southern USA state of Louisiana with a life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds.

Published 1 week ago

Hurricane Warning for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coasts

The National Hurricane Center said Francine’s dangerous eyewall had made landfall in southern Louisiana with a dangerous storm surge, flooding rainfall and maximum sustained winds estimated to be near 100 mph (155 km/h).

Francine is the sixth named storm and fourth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Ernesto which affected Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico and Bermuda in early August 2024.

A hurricane warning is in effect along the Louisiana coast from the Cameron-Vermilion Parish line to Grand Isle and also extends inland into parts of south-central Louisiana including Baton Rouge, Houma and New Iberia.

Areas near the coast from Cameron, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border are in a storm surge warning. This means hurricane conditions (74+ mph winds) and life threatening storm surge are expected in these areas Wednesday.

Tropical storm warnings extend from southwest Louisiana into much of southern Mississippi to Baldwin and Mobile Counties, Alabama. The New Orleans metro area is included in a tropical storm warning, meaning sustained winds of at least 39 to 73 mph are expected there later today and tonight.

State of Emergency Declared

USA President Joe Biden has declared a federal state of emergency for the Louisiana in order to expedite any needed relief or rescue efforts.

Any major storm near Louisiana evokes memories of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas, killing nearly 1,400 people and causing $125 billion in damage, according to a 2023 National Hurricane Center report.

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Related News:

• Hurricane Francine Advisory – National Hurricane Center
• Hurricane Francine Coming Ashore in Louisiana – The Weather Channel
• Hurricane Francine Threatens New Orleans – Reuters

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Related Links

• National Hurricane Center
• Noonsite Weather Resources

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