Louisiana has been hit by several powerful storms in recent years. In 2020, Hurricane Laura devastated Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana. The Category 4 storm’s fierce winds leveled homes, overturned large vehicles, uprooted trees, left many residents without power, and claimed dozens of lives.

Just one year later, Category 4 Hurricane Ida plunged southern Louisiana into similar chaos – but it devastated the more densely populated areas in and around New Orleans. Ida brought more than 10 inches of rain to parts of the Gulf Coast and caused a storm surge of up to 14 feet.

Hurricanes Laura and Ida were tragic examples of how human-caused climate change is making hurricanes more dangerous. They left lasting scars on the state, leaving its residents and infrastructure vulnerable to further damage and making recovery from it even more difficult. Years later, some residents are still waiting for financial assistance, while others are mired in legal battles with insurance companies.

Francine is the 12th hurricane to hit Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina devastated the state in 2005. Five of those hurricanes have occurred in the last five years. That’s more hurricanes than any other state – Florida (ten) and Texas (nine) – has experienced in the same period.