Storm Francine Causes Floods and Power Outages in Louisiana and Mississippi

Storm Francine has wreaked havoc across Louisiana and Mississippi, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and causing significant flooding. The storm made landfall in Morgan City, Louisiana, at 5:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

As Francine moved inland, it triggered a flash flood emergency in New Orleans, where rainfall reached six to eight inches (15-20 cm). Although the storm has since weakened to a tropical storm, it still maintained winds of 50 mph as it advanced past New Orleans and into Mississippi.

In response to the storm’s impact, both Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency. Officials have advised residents to stay indoors and avoid travel. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry emphasized the importance of staying off the roads and remaining at home during the storm.

Forecasts indicate that Francine will continue to lose strength rapidly as it moves across the region, expected to weaken to a tropical depression on Thursday and further into a post-tropical cyclone by the evening. Despite this, the storm is projected to deliver 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) of additional rainfall, along with potential tornadoes and damaging winds to central and eastern Louisiana.

By Thursday morning, approximately 390,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana were without power, with nearly 34,000 outages reported in Mississippi, according to Poweroutages.us. 

Jefferson Parish, a part of Greater New Orleans, reported severe street flooding and urged residents to remain at home. Similarly, Morgan City experienced "unusual amounts of flooding," prompting local authorities to advise against driving on flooded streets. 

Residents across eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama, and western Florida have been warned about life-threatening storm surges. Some areas could see water levels rise up to 10 feet (3 meters) above normal. Several coastal parishes in Louisiana are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders, and some schools and colleges have closed in anticipation of the storm's impact.

The storm has also affected the oil and gas sector in the Gulf of Mexico. Major companies such as Exxon Mobil and Shell have evacuated staff and temporarily halted operations.

Jefferson Parish officials have called on residents to conserve water to prevent issues with the sewer system backing up into homes. This storm comes as Louisiana recently marked the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which caused widespread devastation and claimed over 1,800 lives. The state has mobilized resources and deployed water rescue teams in preparation for Francine, and is ready to call in the National Guard if necessary.

Francine’s development comes after a relatively quiet August and early September for the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically runs until November. Experts had predicted a busier season earlier this year. The previous named storm in the region was Ernesto on August 12. Francine is the sixth named storm of the 2024 season, following a year that saw 19 named storms.

Hurricanes are classified on a scale from one to five, with Category 5 being the most severe, featuring winds over 157 mph (250 km/h). Last year, there were nine named storms in the period between August 13 and September 8.