Francine gains hurricane status as Louisiana braces for landfall

Francine strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday night (Sept. 10) and is forecast to make landfall over Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).

Francine first developed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. As a hurricane, the storm is expected to reach Louisiana by Wednesday afternoon or evening, bringing a "life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds” to the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines, the NHC says.

Francine, with maximum sustained winds at 90 mph, was moving northeast at about 10 mph and was about 185 miles east-northeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande and 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, according to an NHC advisory posted at 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

"Now that Francine has a well-organized core, significant strengthening seems likely through Wednesday morning while the system remains over very warm waters and in low wind shear conditions," the NHC said in a forecast discussion on Tuesday.

The weather system is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding across southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far south Alabama and to northern Florida through Thursday night.

Flash and urban flooding is also probable across the lower Tennessee Valley and Lower Mississippi Valley Wednesday night, into Friday morning, the NHC says.

The NHC’s forecasting models show Francine “strengthening quickly" and nearing Category 2 status on Wednesday morning.

Mandatory and/or voluntary evacuations are now in effect in many Louisiana parishes, including Terrebonne and Lafourche.

Francine & CoNexion conference

Francine has impacted Nexion Travel Group’s CoNexion conference in New Orleans this week as some Canadian suppliers flew home early to avoid the storm’s path, according to various posts on social media. The conference is set to wrap up today (Sept. 11). 

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency on Monday evening ahead of Francine's arrival.

"This State of Emergency will allow parishes statewide to have the resources to help protect the life, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana," Landry said on social media. "Throughout this process, we will remain in constant contact with local officials and first responders and will assist them in every step of the way,” Gov. Landry said.

More than 2.3 million people along the Gulf Coast are under hurricane warnings, according to the National Weather Service.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.