BATON ROUGE, Louisiana. – Hurricane Francine raced south Louisiana on Wednesday as a Category 2 cyclone, hitting land with destructive 100 mph Winds and dangerous Storm surge along the coast of the Bayou State.

The eye of Francine moved ashore in Terrebonne Parish at 5 p.m. CT, bringing hurricane-force winds inland to the southern region of the state near Baton Rouge. Minutes after landfall, the number of power outages in Louisiana skyrocketed, leaving more than 43,000 people without electricity.

Hurricane Francine makes landfall on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

Louisiana authorities urged residents to stay in their homes until emergency responders could safely reach them if needed. Conditions caused by Francine also brought with them the threat of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, which were expected to last through Friday morning.

Francine was the third hurricane to make landfall in the Americas during the 2024 season. Hurricane Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 cyclone near Matagorda, Texas, on July 8. About a month later, Hurricane Debby strengthened into a Category 1 cyclone before making landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on August 5.

Louisiana residents desperately search for supplies ahead of Hurricane Francine

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According to the latest warning from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Francine is located about 30 miles southwest of Morgan CityLouisiana, or about 85 miles southwest of New Orleansand is moving northeast at about 17 mph. Maximum sustained winds will be around 100 mph with stronger gusts.

According to Poweroutage.us, power outages have been increasing in frequency in Louisiana, with over 50,000 reported as of 5:15 p.m. CT. The number of outages will continue to rise as Francine moves further north and impacts southeast Louisiana and Alabama.

Francine halts travel in New Orleans while emergency responders stand by

By Wednesday afternoon, conditions had deteriorated so much that all flights to and from New Orleans International Airport were canceled.

Before Francine’s arrival, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the Bayou State.

“After declaring a state of emergency, we have now concluded that this storm is so severe that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of state and local governments,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. “This federal assistance is necessary to save lives and property.”

A curfew was imposed in some communities from Wednesday afternoon until sunrise on Thursday. Flooding occurred in the community of Cameron even before landfall.

Heavy rain and flooding hit New Orleans Wednesday night, but FOX Weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillion reported that businesses along Bourbon Street remained open.

Hurricane Francine: Landing satellite

(NOAA)

Where does Francine go next?

The NHC said Francine is expected to gradually drift northward, with the center of Francine reaching southeastern Louisiana and southwestern and central Mississippi on Thursday.

Hurricane Francine – forecast cone

The Category 2 hurricane was the third to make landfall in the Americas this year, after Hurricanes Beryl and Debby. Only eight other years since 1900 have seen three or more hurricane landfalls in the United States.

Including Francine, eight hurricanes have made landfall in Louisiana since 2000. FOX weather correspondent Robert Ray has reported on most of these landfalls.

“These guys are tough,” Ray, of Houma, Louisiana, said Wednesday.

Francine became a hurricane on September 10, marking the peak of the 2024 hurricane season, when a named storm is most likely to move through the Atlantic basin. As Francine moves north and eventually dissipates, the NHC is also monitoring several other systems in the Atlantic.