Francine was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday after slamming the Louisiana coast as a powerful Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday, with 100-mph winds that ripped roofs from buildings and trapped dozens of residents inside their homes amid rising floodwaters due to torrential rain.
The eye of then-Hurricane Francine moved onshore at 5 p.m. CT in Terrebonne Parish, pushing hurricane-force wind gusts into southern portions of the state near Baton Rouge.
Winds were whipping across the region as Francine approached, made landfall and moved inland on Wednesday and Thursday. New Orleans reported wind gusts of 78 and 76 mph, while Dulac reported a 97-mph gust and Eugene Island experienced the highest wind gust at 105 mph.
Between the ferocious winds and heavy precipitation, Tropical Depression Francine is now responsible for plunging more than 400,000 utility customers in Louisiana and Mississippi in the Southeast into darkness.
A rare Flash Flood Emergency was issued Wednesday night for parts of the New Orleans metro, where 0.50 inches of rain fell in only 9 minutes and 4.5 inches of rain fell in only 3 hours, leading to life-threatening flooding.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) officially had its second-wettest September day on record on Wednesday, receiving 7.33 inches. It was also the city’s ninth-wettest day overall since 1946.
Dozens rescued in Lafourche Parish as raging floodwaters rise
The relentless rain that hammered the region led to numerous reports of flooding, trapping residents inside their homes as water crept higher and higher.
According to information provided by Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre, more than two dozen people, including children, needed to be rescued from the flooding.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to calls from residents who became trapped in their homes in Thibodaux as flooding cut off escape routes.
All of the residents were safely evacuated and were taken to an emergency shelter.
Power knocked out in St. Charles Parish during live update
Utility companies can’t go out to make repairs and try and restore power until conditions improve across the region.
As of Thursday morning, more than 388,000 customers are in the dark in Louisiana, while power outages in Mississippi have started to skyrocket.
Mississippi is reporting nearly 53,000 outages as of Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell was on Facebook Live on Wednesday night providing important updates to residents when the room was plunged into darkness.
“Are we still on here?” Jewell asked.
“We’re live,” someone responded.
Within moments, the lights came back on, but it was a reminder that while the worst of the storm’s impacts were winding down, the dangers remained.
“There’s your backup generator coming back online,” Jewell said. “We’re still getting a lot of rain and wind, as you can see.”
Travel impacted, curfews in effect
As Francine lashed the region, travel was significantly impacted due to flooded roads and canceled flights.
Officials at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport said that while the airport would remain open, all flights into and out of the area were canceled on Wednesday, with other flights being canceled on Thursday morning.
“Individual airlines determine if and when to cancel flights or resume operations based on weather conditions in the area,” airport officials said in an update. “Passengers with travel scheduled in the coming days are advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information before coming to the airport.”
Some parishes have also issued mandatory curfews that began on Wednesday and last through at least Thursday morning, including in Cameron Parish, where flooding was occurring prior to then-Hurricane Francine’s landfall.
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 severity that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said. “This federal assistance is needed to save lives and property.”
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Where is Francine headed next?
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Francine is expected to take a gradual turn toward the north, with a decrease in forward speed. On that track, the center of Tropical Depression Francine will move over portions of central and northern Mississippi through early Friday.
Weather alerts, such as Wind Advisories, Flood Watches and other hazardous weather outlooks, have been posted as far north as southern Missouri and as far east as Tennessee as what is left of the tropical cyclone makes its way through the South.
Including Francine, eight hurricanes have made landfall in Louisiana since 2000. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray has covered most of those landfalls.
“These people are tough as nails,” Ray said from Houma, Louisiana. on Wednesday.
Francine became a hurricane on Sept. 10, marking the peak of the 2024 hurricane season when a named storm is most likely to be roaming the Atlantic Basin. As Francine heads north and eventually dissipates, the NHC is also tracking several other systems in the Atlantic.
Francine was the third hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S. 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 into a Category 1 before making landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Aug. 5.
