Cars drive through rain bands along Peter Road, just outside New Orleans, ahead of Tropical Storm Francine in Harvey, Louisiana, on Tuesday.
Gerald Herbert/AP
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Gerald Herbert/AP
A hurricane warning is in effect for much of southern Louisiana as Tropical Storm Francine is expected to arrive from the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday.
Storm surges, strong winds, heavy rains and flash flooding are expected in Louisiana, as well as parts of Mississippi and Texas.
“We have to keep an eye on this. It won’t be Laura, it won’t be Ida, but the impacts of this storm will still be large as it moves into southern and southeastern Louisiana,” state climatologist Jay Grymes told reporters.
The storm is currently in the Gulf, about 130 miles east of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas as of 2 p.m. ET. Meteorologists say the storm is moving northeast Tuesday afternoon, moving away from the coasts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas.
On Tuesday, the hurricane reached sustained maximum speeds of 65 mph, but the National Weather Service says it is expected to strengthen and make landfall in central Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane.
Louisiana will begin battling the first tropical storm-force winds inland Wednesday morning, Grymes said. Francine will make landfall in the afternoon. By then, residents must have completed all preparations.
Rainfall in southern Louisiana could be between 4 and 8 inches by Friday morning, forecasters said. Much of Louisiana and Mississippi will see 12 inches. The heavy rains will push some rivers above the flood mark. “All of south-central and southeast Louisiana is under pressure from this storm,” Grymes said.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for coastal areas not under a hurricane warning. This includes extreme southeastern Louisiana, the Mississippi coast, and the upper Texas coast.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a statewide emergency on Monday.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for Cameron Parish in the southwest of the state and much of Terrebonne Parish in the southeast. The state Department of Transportation has provided a map showing evacuation routes.
Both New Orleans and Baton Rouge are in a large area of southeastern Louisiana where severe flooding and multiple tornadoes could occur. The mayor of Baton Rouge has declared a state of emergency and schools are closed Wednesday and Thursday. Schools across the state will remain closed Wednesday. NPR member station WWNO has a list of schools that will be closed.
The unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico favor the formation and intensity of the storm. The warmer waters are a sign of climate change.
