Conditions are deteriorating along the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Francine closes in on landfall. Follow here for live updates.
After strengthening overnight, forecasts now call for the storm to maintain its Category 1 hurricane strength through landfall Wednesday afternoon.
Very strong hurricanes often have an eye — free of storminess — that can be spotted on satellite imagery, but for other storms radar may provide the only clear look. It’s the first sprinkle of what could be a lot of rain – as much as 10 inches is expected in parts of southern Louisiana. Gravity-based drainage systems send water to the lake, so if it is full, the lake’s feeder canals will flood, back up drainage systems in neighborhoods and cause flooding.Boats and high water rescue vehicles from the National Guard and other agencies are at the ready, and fire and police are now on 24-hour shifts.While Francine’s strongest winds haven’t reached the mainland yet, oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico are getting rocked by the hurricane.
Since 2020, four hurricanes hit the US in total before this year: Idalia in 2023, Ian in 2022 and Ida and Nicholas in 2021.Hurricane Francine is tracking toward Louisiana and pushing drenching rainfall over portions of the Gulf Coast. Its strong winds are now lapping at the coastline, where conditions are deteriorating and will continue to worsen over the next few hours.
The hurricane is contending with storm-disrupting wind shear this morning, which has helped limit its overall strength. Francine is now expected to remain a strong Category 1 hurricane at landfall instead of a Category 2, according to the NHC, but its dangerous flooding, storm surge and wind damage impacts remain unchanged.Satellite imagery caught the sunrise this morning over the eastern half of the United States. It also captured Hurricane Francine.
It’s still too early to know how strong it could get or where it could go after it develops, but the threat bears close monitoring. Those rainfall rates are more than enough to cause flash flooding, even for areas that are used to heavy rain. But wet conditions in Louisiana late last week have left the ground soggy and more prone to flooding.
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