Tropical Storm Francine likely to become Category 1 hurricane before Louisiana landfall, forecasters say
Tropical Storm Francine, which developed in the Gulf of Mexico Monday, is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane
Tuesday and make landfall Wednesday over Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center says.
The storm was forecast to intensify at some point Tuesday afternoon and reach its peak strength within 24 hours of striking land.
"Francine is anticipated to be just offshore of the coasts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas through today," the hurricane center said early Tuesday, "and make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday. Francine will likely become a hurricane today, with significant strengthening expected before it reaches the coast."
The storm "is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches across much of Louisiana and Mississippi through Friday morning," the center added. There is potential for "considerable" flash and urban flooding.
As of 11 a.m. ET Tuesday, Francine's center was about 195 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande and approximately 690 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana. It was moving north-northeast at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. The storm turned eastward Tuesday morning and increased its speed slightly, as previous forecasts expected.
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 officals and first responders and will assist them in every step of the way."
A hurricane warning was expanded Tuesday morning for the Louisiana coast from Sabine Pass to Grand Isle, with a tropical storm warning in place from there eastward to the mouth of the Pearl River, including metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. Another tropical storm warning was issued Tuesday morning for the Mississippi coast, from the Pearl River eastward to the Alabama border, and a tropical storm watch was ordered for all of coastal Alabama.
Storm surge warnings were in effect for areas from High Island, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River and Vermilion Bay in Louisiana, as well as eastward to the border of Mississippi and Alabama. A storm surge watch extended across Alabama to the Florida border and included Mobile Bay.
The Miami-based hurricane center explains that a hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, and it's typically issued hours before the earliest arrival of tropical-storm-force winds that would hinder weather preparations. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, and a storm surge warning means there's a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations.
Forecasters said tropical storm conditions were expected within the warning areas in Mexico and south Texas for several hours Tuesday morning into the afternoon, and they could persist along parts of the Texas coast into the night. Tropical storm weather was expected to arrive in parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday, and, possibly in parts of coastal Alabama.
Francine's development followed an unusually calm August and early September in the Atlantic hurricane season. Francine is the Atlantic season's sixth named storm.
Experts had predicted one of the busiest Atlantic seasons ever and, The Associated Press notes, Colorado State University researchers said last week they still expect an above-normal season overall.
