At a Glance
- Schools are closed in several parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, including New Orleans.
- Residents in Alabama were reminded to stay vigilant.
- Evacuations were ordered in some Louisiana parishes.
Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.
"Remain vigilant" was the message Tuesday night for people in states in the path of Hurricane Francine, a storm packing potentially deadly storm surge and dangerous winds as it barrels toward the Gulf Coast.
Time is running out.
"Conditions will deteriorate during the daylight hours through southern Louisiana," weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan BellesBy late morning or early afternoon, it will be too late to prepare as wind and rain increases and Francine's core approaches."
Evacuations were ordered for some parishes in Louisiana, schools were closed and shelters open there and in Mississippi, and watches and warnings were issued all the from the Texas coast through Alabama.
Follow our Francine tracker here, and get Francine's latest forecast here.
Here our live updates from Tuesday:
(8:50 p.m. ET) Thousands Of Utility Workers Ready To Deploy
Entergy Louisiana, the state’s largest electric provider, says it is assembling a crew of 5,000 workers to respond to the storm.
That includes line workers, tree trimmers and other staff. About 1,600 were already on the ground this afternoon, with another 3,400 on the way.
"Our goal is to ensure we have the right resources in place to restore power efficiently and, above all, safely," Steven Benyard, vice president of reliability for Entergy in Louisiana, said in a news release.
(7:59 p.m. ET) Louisiana Requests Federal Assistance
Gov. Jeff Landry is asking the White House to declare an emergency in Louisiana, paving the way for federal assistance. The request follows a statewide emergency declaration made yesterday by Landry.
“After declaring a state of emergency, we have now determined that this storm is of such severity that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments," the governor said in a news release. "This federal assistance is needed to save lives and property, and I look forward to President Biden quickly approving this request."
(7:38 p.m. ET) Francine's Officially A Hurricane
Francine was upgraded to a hurricane in the National Hurricane Center's 8 p.m. update.
A hurricane warning was issued along the Louisiana coast from Cameron east to Grand Isle.
(7:35 p.m. ET) Louisiana Police Chief: Stay Home And Watch TV
Morgan City Police Chief Chad Adams had this to say during an interview with The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore:
“We've been preparing since Monday. Our biggest problem is going to be once the storm passes, having debris.
I want to make sure the citizens understand in Morgan City that they stay out of those areas that are affected with downed power lines, trees, and let the city crews get in there and assess the situation and let the first responders get out there and do what they need to do …
That's what we ask, you know, tune into the weather channel and see what's going on … and stay off the streets for us.”
(7:13 p.m. ET) Here Comes A Rex Block
From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
Toward the end of this week, Francine will find itself as one part of a two-part Rex block over the east. This is one form of atmospheric clogging that occurs when a high pressure system and low pressure system (in this case, Francine) get too close.
Francine is expected to get caught over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley by Friday while a high pressure system sits over the Great Lakes.
By then, Francine will be considerably weaker, but will be sitting without a steering mechanism of its own. This means the showery weather that has plagued the Southeast for some time will continue through the weekend.
(6:38 p.m. ET) New Orleans-Area Hospitals Closing, Elective Surgeries Canceled
From weather.com senior news editor Dave Siff:
With New Orleans under a hurricane watch and Francine approaching, some hospitals in the city are putting emergency plans in place and canceling elective procedures.
Ochsner Health, which operates hospitals and clinics in New Orleans, St. Bernard and St. John’s parishes, Lafayette and Baton Rouge, announced all of its facilities will close Wednesday and elective procedures are canceled.
LCMC Health, which operates eight hospitals in the New Orleans area, said all of its facilities will go into “lockdown mode” at 7 a.m. Wednesday, for 24 hours. Elective procedures and clinics are canceled, but emergency services will continue during the storm.
"If you feel like you need to be at the hospital, come to the hospital," LCMC’s Dr. Jeffrey Elder told NOLA.com, while advising residents to call 911 for medical emergencies.
(6:25 p.m. ET) Remember, Impacts Can Extend Well Outside The Cone
Residents in Alabama's only two coastal counties - Mobile and Baldwin - are being advised to remain alert, even though they currently aren't in Francine's direct cone.
"Why? Because the cone represents where the center of Hurricane Francine may go. Impacts typically occur well outside the cone and away from the center of storms," Jim Stefkovich, meteorologist with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, explained in an update earlier today.
School districts in both counties say they are monitoring the storm and so far have canceled all extra-curricular activities for tomorrow.
The area is in a band of watches and warnings for Francine that stretches from the middle Texas coast to near the Florida Panhandle
(5:50 p.m. ET) Here’s Where Francine’s Track Is Headed
“The biggest change I think today is that we’ve slowly been sliding the cone, or the landfall spot, eastward,” weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles says.
That means some impacts are also shifting. For example, there could be some heavy rainfall and even storm surge into the western tip of the Florida Panhandle.
Francine’s track could continue to slide eastward overnight.
“The actual path may end up being closer to the Mississippi line than where we’re at right now but we’ll see how this works out,” Belles says.
Tornadoes are a threat after the storm moves ashore, and heavy rain could linger over parts of the South until Thursday.
(5:21 p.m. ET) Louisiana State University Announces Closure
The LSU campus in Baton Rouge is closed Wednesday and Thursday, but classes will be held remotely. All campus activities are canceled as of 4:30 p.m. local time today.
"Students who live on campus should expect to shelter in place during the storm by remaining indoors," campus officials said in a social media update.
(5:03 p.m. ET) Hurricane Watch Issued For New Orleans
A hurricane watch is now in effect for metro New Orleans as well as Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, per an update just released by the National Hurricane Center.
(4:41 p.m. ET) Tropical Storm Warnings, Watches: Hurricane Terms To Know
Areas from the middle of the Texas Gulf Coast to the Florida Panhandle are under hurricane or tropical storm watches and warnings.
A hurricane or tropical storm watch generally means hurricane or tropical storm winds are possible within 48 hours.
A warning usually means those conditions are expected within about 36 hours.
We've compiled a list here of the most important hurricane season terms to know.
(4:29 p.m. ET) Local Emergency Declared In Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome signed an emergency disaster declaration ahead of the storm.
"We’re actively clearing storm drains, restocking sand locations, and are fully prepared to respond to our community," Broome said in a news release. "We ask our residents to do the same - take this time to create a plan and get your families and homes ready."
(4:20 p.m. ET) Schools Closed, Shelters Open In Mississippi
Advertisem*nt
More than a dozen Mississippi school closures have so far been announced. They include these districts: Biloxi, Columbia, Harrison County, Jackson County, McComb, Pascagoula-Gautier and Pass Christian.
Two shelters are opening tonight in Pearl River County, Mississippi, which includes the towns of
Earlier, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency sent more than 100,000 sandbags to the southern part of the state.
(4:06 p.m. ET) Curfew, Closures In Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
The Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government announced a curfew starting at 7 p.m. local time for areas under a mandatory evacuation order. A parish-wide curfew is also expected as Francine gets closer. The parish is also suspending operation of some bridges and will close all government offices tomorrow and Thursday.
A "shelter of last resort" will open in the Municipal Auditorium at 6 p.m. local time.
Residents are being told to prepare their homes for the storm's impacts.
"Please make sure once you get property taken care of you get your family safe and hunker down for the storm," Parish President Jason Bergeron said in an afternoon update.
(3:52 p.m. ET) Hot Water Is Giving Francine A Boost But ...
From weather.com meteorologist Sara Tonks:
Tropical storms and hurricanes feed off of warm water, and Francine is currently over water in the Gulf of Mexico that is hovering in the mid to upper 80s. The water is also warmer than what is typical for this time of year, meaning that Francine’s ability to strengthen is getting a boost from this year's hotter-than-average summer.
There's good news though - Francine is actively fighting at least occasional dry air intrusions, helping keep the storm from reaching hurricane strength so far, and the storm is about to enter a region more wind shear, which will work with the drier air to limit the strength of the storm before it reaches land.
(3:25 p.m. ET) Lake Charles Residents Watch And Worry
We named Lake Charles, Louisiana, "America's Most Weather-Battered City" in 2021, after a nine-month stretch of weather disasters that included hurricanes Laura and Delta the year before.
Many people there are still trying to recover.
"I'm in survival mode. I'm trying to get my basic needs met," resident Terra Hillman told The Associated Press. "I barely have running water. I have no hot water. I live in a FEMA trailer. This is not my choice, you know it's been 4 years."
Click here for more.
(3:19 p.m. ET) Flood Gates Closed In New Orleans Area
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - West is closing several floodgates ahead of Francine. The agency operates 68 floodgates on land in Jefferson and Orleans parishes.
Most of New Orleans sits below sea level, making it especially vulnerable to flooding. More than 350 miles of levees were built to help protect the city.
(2:38 p.m. ET) How Will Francine Affect Houston Weather?
From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman:
For Houston, Francine will be nothing like Beryl. That’s because Francine is forecast to track far enough east to keep any damaging winds east of the metro area, unlike Beryl’s track west of the metro area two months ago.
There may be some occasional bands of showers with locally soaking downpours in parts of the metro through Wednesday. But that’s pretty much it from Francine.
(2:28 p.m. ET) Hurricane Kit Checklist
Even if you're not in the path of Francine, now is a good time to update your emergency kit. A basic hurricane supply list should include these minimums:
-One gallon of water per person per day for several days, to be used for drinking and sanitation. The same goes for non-perishable food, and don't forget a can opener.
-A hand crank or battery-powered radio, a NOAA weather radio, flashlight and extra batteries.
-First aid kit.
-Prescription medications.
-Pet supplies.
-Necessities for babies, kids or anyone with special needs.
-Cell phone, chargers and cables.
-A list of items you'd want to grab at the last minute if there's time, including important documents.
(2 p.m. ET) Louisiana School Closures
Several parish school districts as well as universities and colleges are closing because of Francine. The closures include New Orleans public schools as well as Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Charles, Terrebonne and St. Tammany parishes.
Other closures on the list:
-Assumption, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. James, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes.
-University of the Holy Cross, Nicholls State University and Nunez State University. Some campuses will switch to virtual classes.
(1:45 p.m. ET) Heavy Rainfall Is Already Hitting Southwest Texas
Top totals from Francine so far:
-7.4 inches in Brownsville
-4.2 inches in Boca Chica
-3.58 inches in Port Mansfield
-2.69 in Port Isabel
(1:30 p.m. ET) Evacuations Ordered In Louisiana
-Plaquemines Parish, mandatory evacuations for areas outside of the levee system, including Lake Hermitage and Venice; voluntary evacuations for the East Bank.
-Jefferson Parish, mandatory evacuations for Grand Isle, Lafitte and Barataria.
-Terrebonne Parish, mandatory evacuations for areas south of the levee.
(1 p.m. ET) What To Do If You Are In Francine's Path
From weather.com senior meteorologist Dina Knightly:
-You must make a plan today.
-If you are in an evacuation zone, plan on leaving today. Have cash on hand, medications, water, food and your pets.
-Board up any part of your home now and let friends and family know where you are.
-Charge your phone and check your evacuation routes so you don't get stuck in the worst of the traffic.
Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
