Tropical Storm Francine Moving Through Louisiana, Mississippi With Damaging Gusts, Heavy Rain And Storm Surge
Here's the latest status of this system: Francine is moving northeastward through Louisiana and Mississippi, now as a tropical storm.
Tropical storm conditions hammered southern Louisiana, including New Orleans, Wednesday evening. New Orleans' International Airport has reported a 78 mph wind gust while the worst of Francine moves through metropolitian New Orleans. A flash flood emergency was issued for New Orleans and LaPlace, Louisiana, where 5-7 inches of rain have fallen along the Interstate-10 corridor. Automobiles were seen flooding and power has been knocked out in parts of the metro. Flooding is also being reported in several spots in southern Louisiana, including Cocodrie and Dulac.
Earlier Wednesday, a wind gust of 105 mph was reported on Eugene Island, Louisiana, Wednesday evening. Dulac, Louisiana, recently reported a gust to 97 mph. Gusts at offshore oil rigs have gusted as high as 112 mph on elevated platforms.
Where watches and warnings are in effect:
The map below shows where tropical storm watches and/or warnings are currently in effect across the Gulf Coast.
(A watch is issued when tropical storm or hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours. A warning is issued when those conditions are expected within 36 hours.)
Forecast track and intensity: Francine will spread rainfall and strong wind gusts across eastern Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi and Alabama overnight. Rainfall from Francine and its remnants will affect other parts of the Southeast to as far north as the lower Ohio and Tennessee valleys through at least Friday and possibly into the weekend as a non-tropical system.
(The red-shaded area denotes the potential path of the center of the tropical cyclone. It's important to note that impacts (particularly heavy rain, high surf, coastal flooding, winds) with any tropical cyclone usually spread beyond its forecast path.)
Potential Impacts
Storm Surge
Life-threatening storm surge will continue to inundate low-lying areas along the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coasts through the overnight hours. In some spots, an early Thursday morning high tide may bring the worst inundation.
According to the National Hurricane Center, peak inundation overnight may reach 5 to 8 feet in parts of southern Louisiana, including Vermilion Bay, if the storm surge arrives at the time of high tide. Flooding is also expected along the shores of lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas, where the surge could be 3 to 6 feet.
Follow the advice of local officials if ordered to evacuate.
Damaging winds
Windy conditions will persist in parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi through the overnight hours.
These winds will be capable of downing numerous trees and widespread power outages could last for several days after the storm is over in this area. Power outages and some downed trees are expected in these areas.
Advertisement
Scattered power outages are possible as far north as central Mississippi, western Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.
Flooding Rain
The heaviest rain from Francine is expected in southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday night.
Rainfall totals in these areas could reach 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches. New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Biloxi and Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama, are among the cities where flood watches have been issued for this heavy rain threat.
(Issued by the National Weather Service.)
Locally heavy rain from Francine's remnants will affect parts of the Southeast to as far north as the lower Ohio and Tennessee valleys through the weekend. At least localized flooding is possible in these areas.
That's because Francine will likely get stuck across the mid-Mississippi Valley as part of a "Rex block" pattern. This is one form of atmospheric clogging that occurs when a high-pressure system and low-pressure system (in this case, Francine) get too close.
This blocking pattern will leave Francine's remnants without a steering mechanism, contributing to an unsettled, showery pattern for days in the Southeast.
Possible Tornadoes
Landfalling tropical cyclones often produce at least a few tornadoes near and inland from where they cross the coast.
An isolated tornado threat from this system could develop Wednesday night in southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
The isolated tornado threat may persist Thursday in portions of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, western Georgia and possibly adjacent parts of northeast Mississippi and south-central Tennessee.
Recapping Francine So Far
Francine formed into a tropical storm on Monday morning, becoming the first Atlantic storm since Ernesto moved into the North Atlantic Ocean on August 20. It then became the fourth hurricane of the 2024 season on Tuesday evening.
Francine gave only a glancing blow to parts of South Texas. Areas around Brownsville, Texas measured up to 7.5 inches of rain, resulting in street flooding.
Minor coastal flooding was along parts of the South Texas coast. The main road to the Starbase Spaceport south of South Padre Island was covered with water for at least one high tide cycle.
It's been 30 years since the last time the Atlantic Basin went through the first full week of September without any active tropical cyclones, according to WPLG-TV hurricane expert Michael Lowry.
And Colorado State University tropical scientist Phil Klotzbach noted the last time the Atlantic Basin went from Aug. 13 though Sept. 8 without any storms forming was in 1968.
The hurricane made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, about 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, as a Category 2 after rapidly intensifying Wednesday.
