Ferocious Francine slams Louisiana ripping roofs from buildings, trapping residents amid rising floodwaters
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.
FRANCINE TRACKER: FORECAST CONE, POWER OUTAGES, WATCHES, WARNINGS AND MORE
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.
The top wind reports from Hurricane Francine. (FOX Weather)
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.
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The top rain reports from Hurricane Francine. (FOX Weather)
A Louisiana state trooper working to remove downed trees on Interstate 10 was injured when a tree fell and hit the trooper, according to the Louisiana State Police. The trooper suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital.
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.
WATCH: HURRICANE FRANCINE'S FURY SLAMS LOUISIANA WITH FEROCIOUS WIND, TORRENTIAL RAIN
Dozens rescued in Lafourche Parish as raging floodwaters rise
Francine slams Louisiana with flooding, outages
Francine slammed into the Louisiana coast Wednesday evening as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane that knocked out electricity to more than a quarter-million customers and threatened widespread flooding as it sent a potentially deadly storm surge rushing inland along the Gulf Coast. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
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.
Keith Osborne’s home was flooded during Francine’s wrath.
"Electricity went out at 7 (p.m.)," Osborne told FOX Weather. "We were just watching the water come up the sidewalk and when it got about a foot away from the door, it started coming in through the garage. And once that happened, it was a losing battle after that."
Osborne said they lost everything when Hurricane Katrina came through New Orleans in 2005.
"You just do the best you can do," he said. "We’re too old to pick up and move somewhere else, so we’re going to put it back together as best we can and move on, and hope we get 20 more years between storms — I’ll be happy with that."
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Power knocked out in St. Charles Parish during live update
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.
"MSY remains operational following Hurricane Francine," the airport said in an update. "There was no significant damage to the terminal or runways."
Airport officials said airlines were expected to gradually resume operations later on Thursday morning, but many cancelations remain.
Passengers were urged to contact their airline directly to check on a flight status before heading to the airport.
HURRICANE FRANCINE CAUSING CANCELLATIONS ACROSS GULF COAST AIRLINE, CRUISE TRAVEL
Hurricane Francine makes landfall in Louisiana
The National Weather Service announced that Hurricane Francine officially made landfall in southern Louisiana in the Parish of Terrebonnne, as a Category 2 hurricane. LiveNOW's Christina Evans checks in with Fox 26 reporter Leslie DelasBour to see how residents are holding up in Galveston, Texas.
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."
Where is Francine headed next?
Here's the latest information on Hurricane Francine. (FOX Weather)
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.