Janice R. Andrews
As Francine gets stronger into a hurricane, Louisiana gets ready for its impact.
As of Tuesday night, Tropical Storm Francine had grown into a Category 1 hurricane, which put people in Louisiana on high watch. The storm is expected to hit land on Wednesday afternoon or evening, so state and local governments are telling people to get ready as soon as possible. Francine is expected to hit the southern coast of Louisiana with winds that will not stop at 75 mph (120 kph). With winds as high as 110 mph (175 kph), it could become a Category 2 hurricane.
Louisiana Gets Ready for a Big Storm
As Francine was about to arrive, Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana told people to “batten down all the hatches,” especially those in southern Louisiana. With only 24 hours to finish getting ready for the storm, people rushed to get things like blocks, fuel, and non-perishable food. A lot of people, like Roxanne Riley from New Orleans, are thinking about whether they should stay or leave.
Riley said, “Every time a storm comes in, it’s great fun.” “I’ll just get my car ready in case I need to leave tomorrow.” I’m going to keep looking to see what it looks like.
The storm is expected to hit land in Louisiana, but it will have an effect all along the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning from Cameron to Grand Isle. Storm surge warnings go even further east, to the line between Alabama and Florida. These warnings emphasize the risk of storms that could kill people.
Francine’s growth is helped by warm water.
Gulf seas that are extremely warm have helped Hurricane Francine get stronger very quickly. Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami, says that the Gulf of Mexico is at a record high temperature for this time of year. The temperature where the storm is presently located is about 87 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius).
Hurricanes need warm seas to get stronger, which means Francine could get even stronger before it hits land, making it a more dangerous storm.
There is a chance of a storm surge and flooding.
The storm surge from Francine is the most immediate danger. In some places, it could reach up to 10 feet (3 meters). Along the coast between Cameron and Port Fourchon, the wave is expected to affect places that are weak, such as Vermilion Bay. The head of the NHC, Michael Brennan, stressed that this wave could be life-threatening and warned of dangerous conditions both on the coast and further inland.
Lines of people in low-lying places, like New Orleans, were seen getting sandbags in order to protect themselves from floods. Wayne Grant, who was new to the city, was worried about his flat because it had flooded during a storm last year.
Grant said, “It was like a kick in the face. Ever since then, we’ve been trying to keep up with the weather.” “Even though it’s not ours, we care a lot about the place.”
Longtime residents of Louisiana get ready for another storm
For many people in Louisiana, Hurricane Francine is just the latest in a long line of storms that have caused a lot of damage. Coy Verdin, 55, is still rebuilding his home in the coastal town of Dulac in Terrebonne Parish. Hurricane Ida did a lot of damage to it in 2021. Verdin has no plans to leave his home forever, even though repairs were just finished. He does plan to wait out Francine at his daughter’s house in Thibodaux, though.
Verdin said, “We had to gut the whole house.” “I’ll stay here as long as I can.” But things are getting rough.
Resources and emergency plans put in place
The Louisiana National Guard has been called up to help with preparations and reaction efforts as Hurricane Francine gets closer. Governor Landry said that the Guard has food, water, 400 high-water vehicles, boats, and planes ready to help with any possible search-and-rescue efforts after the storm. Landry also told people to stay off the roads during the storm so that they wouldn’t get in the way of rescue workers.
While getting ready for Francine, Louisiana is still getting over the damage done by storms like Laura and Delta, which hit places like Lake Charles hard in 2020. A 22-story building in Lake Charles was torn down last weekend because it was too damaged to be fixed after the storms. This is another step in the city’s ongoing rebuilding efforts.
The Gulf Coast is likely to get rain and flooding
Along with strong winds and a storm surge, Francine is likely to bring a lot of rain to the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center says that Louisiana and Mississippi will get 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) of rain, and some places could get up to 12 inches (30 cm). This could cause flash floods in cities, which would make the storm even more dangerous overall.
Along with Louisiana, parts of eastern Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle are also likely to have heavy floods starting Wednesday. From now until Friday, flash flooding is still possible in the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys as Francine moves inland.
Keep up-to-date and be careful
As Francine gets stronger quickly and heads straight for the coast of Louisiana, it’s important for people to stay up to date on what’s happening through trusted routes like the National Hurricane Center, local government advisories, and emergency services.
Louisiana has been through a lot of hurricanes, which has made it strong, but each storm brings new problems. As people along the Gulf Coast get ready for Francine’s effects, they hope that by working together and getting ready, they can safely weather the storm.
The path of Hurricane Francine shows that it will hit Louisiana, which could be very dangerous. People don’t have much time left to finish getting ready, and people who live near the coast should think about leaving if they haven’t already. As Francine gets stronger, it will test how ready and strong towns along the Gulf Coast are.
