Here Is the Path Francine Is Expected to Take After Leaving Trail of Damage in Louisiana

Francine, which formed near the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and is headed northwards, weakened from a Category 2 hurricane into a tropical depression on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. After making landfall on Wednesday in Louisiana, Francine produced “life-threatening storm surges, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rains,” across the state. 

As of 10 a.m. EST on Thursday, Francine is about 15 miles north-northeast of Jackson, Mississippi. The hurricane is moving northwest at 14 m.p.h and currently has top sustained winds of 35 m.p.h. All storm surge warnings have now been discontinued.

Prior to the storm making landfall, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a state of emergency order on Monday in anticipation of the potential hurricane. The order is expected to remain in place until Wednesday, Sept. 18, “unless amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded earlier by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.” 

Read More: How to Protect Your Home During a Hurricane

Ahead of Francine’s landfall, residents of the state capital, Baton Rouge, were seen forming long lines at gas stations and grocery stores. Others placed sandbags at city-operated locations to protect their homes from flooding, the Associated Press reported. Homeless shelters in Baton Rouge also activated a response plan, one of which posted on Facebook that they were “doing everything we can to get as many men, women, children, and families off the street.”

Francine brought in 4-9 inches of heavy rain between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. A flash flood emergency—the highest flood threat—was briefly in place for New Orleans and the surrounding area, and Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley told the local news station that he hasn’t “seen this kind of flooding from being overwhelmed by this much water from our drainage canals since Katrina, it's sad to say."

There have been no immediate reports of deaths or injury, though Francine hit Louisiana with 100 m.p.h. winds, and there are reportedly power outages for close to 400,000 Louisianans as of early Thursday, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.

As of early Thursday, the National Weather Service states that Francine will continue to bring heavy rainfall—likely about 4 to 8 inches—and the risk of flash, urban, and river flooding across parts of Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Southeast.