Louisiana, United States.– Hurricane Francine hit the coast of Louisiana in the southern United States on Wednesday with strong winds and heavy rains that began to cause flooding.
At 10:00 p.m., “Francine” made landfall in southern Louisiana, in Terrebonne Parish (County), about 30 miles (48 km) south-southwest of Morgan City, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported in its X account.
It is packing sustained winds of 155 km/h, making it a Category 2 hurricane on a scale of 5. “Heavy rains and hurricane-force winds are spreading ashore across southern Louisiana. It is time to stay home and away from windows,” the NHC added in its report.
Local television footage showed rain and winds hitting coastal towns in Louisiana’s parishes, which have had mandatory evacuations in place since Tuesday. Flooding was also reported on some streets, and tornado warnings remain in effect for these jurisdictions.
In addition, precipitation is falling on the Mississippi coast. The hurricane could bring up to 30 centimeters of rain in some places, which would cause possible flash flooding. Coastal submergence has already begun, according to the US Weather Service office for New Orleans. “Francine” also poses a threat to the New Orleans metropolitan area. Authorities in that city reported on Wednesday that several of its shelters were already full. Part of the area that is in the estimated path of the hurricane was hit by the devastating hurricanes “Katrina” (2005), “Laura” (2020) and “Ida” (2021). The meteorological phenomenon should lose power quickly after making landfall. It will continue northward across part of the states of Louisiana and then Mississippi.
Floods
In the streets of Houma, a small town southwest of New Orleans, sandbags had been placed at the entrances of buildings to keep out water. “We want to make sure they have gas for their generators and that they have their basic needs with them,” Alicia, a manager at a gas station that was still open, told AFP. The Louisiana National Guard is ready with 32 helicopters, 387 vehicles and 87 boats mobilized to provide assistance. It also has water stored to be distributed if needed, authorities reported. US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Louisiana on Tuesday, a measure that allows federal funds to be released to help local authorities. In the rain, fishermen, members of the soccer team with the coach and the mayor of the town of Jean Lafitte, placed sandbags to protect properties near a navigable bayou. Their jurisdiction is under mandatory evacuation. “We’re going to experience flooding. There will be certain areas in this bayou that will flood, we’re going to try to mitigate that,” Mayor Timothy Kerner Jr. told WDSU 6. Dozens of families spent the previous night in some shelters, local media reported. A curfew was in effect in Lafourche Parish until dawn Thursday to keep people off the streets during the hurricane. “We know conditions are starting to deteriorate … We’re going to see some trees down, some potential power lines out, so we don’t want people on the road,” Lafourche Parish Mayor Archie Chaisson said.
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