Life-threatening conditions expected in Gulf Coast as Hurricane Francine nears (2024)

Biden declares federal emergency in Louisiana

Public schools in New Orleans will be closed tomorrow and Thursday to keep children, teachers and staff members out of harm's way when Francine hits sometime tomorrow, NOLA Public Schools said in a statement.

Instruction ended early today as part of the response, according to the statement.

"Tuesday and Wednesday’s closures are intended to provide families adequate time to make necessary preparations and stay safe, particularly in light of potential flooding and other hazards in the aftermath of the storm," the district said.

The state of the district and the storm's impacts will be evaluated Thursday, and a decision about reopening campuses will be made then, the district said.

The latest update from the National Hurricane Center tonight has placed Hurricane Francine just a little closer to the Louisiana coast, where impacts could be begin tomorrow, forecasters said.

The storm was 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, according to the 11 p.m. ET update. It continued to move northeast at 10 mph and produce maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the center said.

A federal hurricane warning was in effect from Vermilion Parish to Grand Isle in Louisiana, all west of New Orleans. The same stretch of coast was also the subject of a storm surge warning.

The coastline could get rain amounts of 4 to 8 inches, with 12 inches possible, and a storm surge of 5 to 10 feet, the hurricane center said.

The storm was expected to gain some strength and accelerate before it strikes land tomorrow afternoon or evening, it said.

In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, officials urged residents to be so prepared and out of harm's way they won't need to call 911 after Francine makes landfall.

Because if they do call 911, it's possible no one will be able to respond. Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng mentioned a no-response policy during a news conference today, and the sheriff's office confirmed it: Once tropical storm-force winds — defined as maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph — kick in, sheriff's deputies are ordered to shelter in place. (Hurricane status begins at 74 mph.)

"Deputies typically remain on the road to answer calls for service for as long as it is safe to do so," Sheriff's Capt. Jason Rivardesaid by email. "That threshold is once tropical storm force winds enter the area. We use the same standard for restoring service and beginning damage assessments after the storm passes through."

It wasn't clear whether the same standard applies to fire and medical first responders. The parish abuts New Orleans to its west and south.

Rivarde said keeping deputies off the road helps the community in the long term. "It is necessary to pull them off the road to allow them to shelter-in-place as the storm passes to preserve their ability to respond following the event," he said.

Lafourche Parish, west of New Orleans, and Washington Parish, north of the city, announced that curfews will be enforced as the area gets ready for Francine.

The moves could reduce the number of people needing help as hurricane conditions arrive, and they might offer security for business operators concerned about abandoning their locations.

In Lafourche, the curfew starts at noon tomorrow and lasts through sunset Thursday, officials said in a statement. Deputies will allow a grace period to allow workers to get home, it said.

"All businesses should be closed by noon on Wednesday for employees to make it home before the strongest storm impacts begin," the city said.

Washington Parish enacted an emergency order that declares public spaces off limits from 10 p.m. tomorrow to noon Thursday.

Reporting from New Orleans

New Orleans asked residents to wrap up their storm preparations tonight.

According to the storm's forecast path, the city could be affected by the hurricane's right flank, which historically does the most damage along the Gulf Coast.

With landfall forecast for tomorrow on the Louisiana coast, possibly along the Mississippi River delta plain, officials say time for safe preparation is running out.

Residents are urged to shelter indoors overnight and throughout the storm's presence.

Francine is officially a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center's 8 p.m. update.

The center estimated the storm's sustained winds at 75 mph, which is 1 mph above the threshold for hurricane status.

"Additional strengthening is expected through Wednesday morning," the hurricane center said.

The storm has sped up slightly to 10 mph and will also continue to accelerate before landfall, it said.

"A fasternortheastward motion is expected tonight and Wednesday," the hurricane center said.

Francine continues to move northeastward across the western Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall in Louisiana tomorrow afternoon or evening.

Cameron, Louisiana, has been hit by four major hurricanes in the last 20 years, turning the Gulf Coast community into a ghost town. And once again, the residents who remain are packing up and evacuating as Tropical Storm Francine barrels toward the Louisiana coast.

Last night, officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for all of Cameron Parish, warning of strong winds, heavy rain and peak storm surge up to 5 feet. The storm is forecast to make landfall as a hurricane within Cameron’s radius tomorrow, threatening a community that has already suffered millions of dollars in hurricane damage. Cameron is about 70 miles southeast of Beaumont, Texas.

Lifelong Cameron Parish resident Anna Dupont, 21, spent today packing and gathering supplies — gasoline, water, cat litter, trash bags and emergency MRE rations. Dupont and her family plan to ride out the storm from the nearby fire station, where her father works as the fire chief. They hope to provide aid to any remaining locals following landfall.

In recent decades, scientists have observed an increase in rapidly intensifying hurricanes linked to rising ocean temperatures resulting from global warming. And as Tropical Storm Francine moves into the Gulf of Mexico, record high water temperatures are fueling it. Over the last 50 years, the Gulf of Mexico, which borders Cameron, has warmed twice as fast as the rest of the world’s oceans.

DuPont says this storm is the last straw. Hurricanes have destroyed her home twice, but her family has stayed through it all. In the fall, DuPont is leaving her hometown and moving inland — and with the storm looming over her parents’ newly renovated house, she hopes they’ll do the same.

“I’m honestly over it at this point,” DuPont said. “I’ve packed my records and left everything else. This time, I just hope I can convince my parents to move.”

Metropolitan New Orleans is under a hurricane watch, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain are also included in the hurricane watch. A hurricane warning is still in effect on the Louisiana coast from Cameron to Grand Isle.

Francine was still classified as a tropical storm at 5 p.m. with 65 mph maximum sustained winds. The storm is about 135 miles east of the mouth of the Rio Grande and 360 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, moving northeast at 10 mph.

Francine is expected to strengthen into a hurricane tonight before landfall in Louisiana tomorrow. It is expected to quickly weaken after making landfall.

"After landfall, the center is expected to move northward into Mississippi on Wednesday night or Thursday," the hurricane center said.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency this afternoon ahead of Francine's landfall.

Reeves said on X that the declaration would help the state "mobilize state assets, and respond as necessary."

Mississippi's coastline is so far forecast to avoid a direct hit, but it is likely to experience tropical storm-level effects, including possible life-threatening storm surge along the coast and waterways, according to the National Weather Service.

Mandatory evacuations were issued for Lafourche and Plaquemines parishes on Louisiana's coast today.

In Lafourche, evacuations will begin at 5 p.m. They are mandatory for residents "in a FEMA or State Housing Units and South of the Leon Theriot Locks" and voluntary for those in the Lower Bayou Blue Community and Eagle Island Road and anyone in a mobile home, according to the parish website.

In Plaquemines, mandatory evacuations started at 7 a.m. in seven areas and will begin at 2 p.m. for the communities of Eastbank and Venice north to Alliance.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency deployed more than 100,000 sandbags in south Mississippi this morning in preparation for Francine.

The agency also shared a list of locations where residents can find sandbags.

Power outages are expected to affect Texas as Francine travels closer to the Gulf Coast, officials said.

Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news briefing this afternoon that he expects power providers to be prepared for potential outages, adding that CenterPoint's response to outages during Hurricane Beryl were "unacceptable."

"We know that even with the greatest preparation, winds can sometimes cause power lines to fall to the ground," Abbott said. "When that happens, we fully expect power companies to be prepared in advance to restore those power lines in a matter of hours, not in a matter ofdays."

Abbott said the state's response to the coming storm "has already been robust," with resources deployed to areas expected to be affected, including water rescue teams, food and water. The National Guard is also on standby, he said.

Reporting from Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Residents in Baton Rouge were collecting sandbags at Cadillac Street Park in preparation for Francine's landfall.

Jynita Christmas hopes the storm and any potential damage are limited.

"Hopefully, it doesn’t do too much to us," Christmas said. "I’m hopeful that is what it is, just a lot of rain and wind."

Christmas said she's concerned the rain may cause flooding.

"When it rains a little bit, the area I stay in, it kind of floods," she said.

Christmas said she'd been up since 7 a.m. making trips to the grocery store and trying to find sandbags to help prepare her home.

Tropical Storm Francine is likely to strengthen to a hurricane later today or tonight before it makes landfall in Louisiana tomorrow.

"On the forecast track, Francine is anticipated to be just offshore of the coasts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas through this afternoon, and then move across the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday," the hurricane center said. "After landfall, the center is expected to move into Mississippi on Wednesday night or Thursday."

Francine is expected to bring 4 to 12 inches of rain and damaging winds to Louisiana. A few tornadoes are also possible tomorrow morning near the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center said in an update this morning.

The storm is about 120 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It's moving north-northeastward at 8 mph across the Gulf of Mexico.

A hurricane warning is still in effect for the Louisiana coast from Sabine Pass east to Grand Isle. A storm surge warning has been issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River east to the Mississippi and Alabama border.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Mississippi coast from the mouth of the Pearl River to the Mississippi-Alabama border, according to the hurricane center.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has declared a state of emergency ahead of Francine's forecast landfall in the state tomorrow.

Francine is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes landfall in the state, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to bring 4 to 12 inches of rain to the state, as well as damaging winds and a few potential tornadoes, tomorrow morning near the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center said in an update this morning.

“This State of Emergency will allow parishes statewide to have the resources to help protect the life, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana," Landry said in a statement, adding that his administration will stay in contact with local officials and first responders.

Louisiana State University announced that its campus will be closed today and classes will be held remotely tomorrow and Thursday.

The university had said it would remain open today, but it released an updated statement announcing the campus closure. All events on campus starting at 4:30 p.m. today will also be canceled through to Thursday.

Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall on the Louisiana coast tomorrow as a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. LSU is in Baton Rouge, near the coast, and it is forecast to get tropical storm conditions.

"LSU residence halls and on-campus apartments will remain open and food will be available to on-campus residents," LSU said in a statement. It also advised students living on campus to be ready to shelter in place and students living off campus to gather emergency supplies and consider safer shelter if needed.

Another part of low-lying, coastal Louisiana has told its residents to leave ahead of Tropical Storm Francine, which is due to hit the state tomorrow as a Category 1 hurricane.

Terrebonne Parish, south of Baton Rouge, with a population of more than 100,000, issued an emergency declaration this morning and told people to leave the area by no later than 6 a.m. tomorrow.

The area is famous for its Cajun culture and use of Louisiana French.

Tropical Storm Francine is expected to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane as it rapidly moves toward the northern Gulf Coast and Louisiana. NBC News’ Bill Karins gives the latest update on wind speeds and flooding potential.

This morning, Francine remains a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph — but it's expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it begins to move northeast toward the Gulf Coast.

Tropical storm force conditions are expected to arrive along the Upper Texas Coast between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET today and along the Louisiana coast by 2 a.m. ET tomorrow. Francine is expected to make landfall tomorrow afternoon or evening as a hurricane somewhere along the Louisiana coast.

One update to the forecast compared to yesterday is a slight nudge to the east for possible landfall, putting Baton Rouge and New Orleans at higher risk for impacts. However, we are in the timeframe where changes in the track are expected — i.e. the windshield effect — so all locations from Lake Charles to New Orleans remain in the cross-hairs.

For southern Louisiana, rainfall amounts of up to 12 inches and wind gusts in excess of 100 mph will be possible through tomorrow across Louisiana.

The areas covered by hurricane and storm surge warnings have been expanded by the National Hurricane Center, as Tropical Storm Francine slowly edges towards the Louisiana coastline.

A hurricane warning now stretches from Sabine Pass on the Louisiana-Texas border, all the way to Grand Isle, south of New Orleans — covering almost all of Louisiana's Gulf Coast.

The area covered by a tropical storm warning was widened to the Louisiana coast east of Grand Isle, to include the New Orleans metro area.

Potentially dangerous storm surges are expected from the mouth of the Mississippi River, near New Orleans, to the Mississippi-Alabama border, over the next 36 hours.

The people of New Orleans have been urged to complete any preparations for Tropical Storm Francine by tonight and to strongly consider staying at home tomorrow and Thursday. The city is under a tropical storm watch.

City leaders told a news conference last night that the storm is expected to become a category 1 hurricane and could have a severe effect on the city and wider region.

New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold said: "We do believe that this is a shelter-in-place scenario storm and that the public should pay a lot of attention to this."

People in at-risk areas of Louisiana should have a plan in place and be aware of the dangers of the storm, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference last night.

"We want everyone in that state to be cautious and vigilant. We don't want to downplay this event, but we also do not want people to panic," he said.

Landry passed a state-wide emergency declaration last night and there are 23 local emergency declarations across the state, a number that could increase.

Satellite images captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show Tropical Storm Francine building in the Gulf of Mexico in the early hours of this morning.

Shoppers in a suburb of New Orleans gather food supplies at a grocery store yesterday as Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall in Louisiana.

Dangerous coastal storm surges of up to 10 feet are a major concern ahead of Francine's arrival in the U.S. The Louisiana coast from Cameron to Port Fourchon and Vermilion Bay could see between 5 and 10 feet of storm surge.

"The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves," the National Hurricane Center said.

In addition, 4 to 8 inches of rain is expected from northeast Mexico to Mississippi, with 12 inches forecast in some areas. There will also be "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the NHC said.

People living in low-lying, coastal areas of Louisiana have been strongly advised or ordered to move inland ahead of Francine's arrival on Wednesday.

Cameron Parish, a coastal community between Lafayette and Houston, where the storm is expected to make landfall, is subject to a mandatory evacuation order as of 6 a.m. today.

Grand Isle, a Louisiana town on a narrow stretch of land in the Gulf of Mexico, issued a voluntary evacuation for residents and a mandatory evacuation order for campers and RVs.

Meanwhile, Pass Christian, Mississippi, strongly advised the evacuation of Pass Christian Harbor.