Hurricane Francine leaves thousands without power in Louisiana prompting flood warnings

As Hurricane Francine made landfall on Wednesday, it quickly transformed into a force to be reckoned with, drenching the Louisiana coast with winds nearing 100 mph and dumping rain from the Gulf of Mexico. Reports indicate that over 261,000 customers were left without power, an overwhelming outage that particularly affected coastal parishes, many of which were still trying to bounce back from previous hurricanes.

Francine’s fury was first felt in Terrebonne Parish, about 30 miles from Morgan City, where it wreaked havoc as it swept ashore as a dangerous Category 2 storm. Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham expressed his surprise at the intensity of the storm, stating, “It’s a little bit worse than what I expected to be honest with you,” highlighting the challenges faced by emergency responders.

Pictures captured by local TV broadcasts painted a dire scene: water levels surged over city streets, tree limbs snapped like twigs, and nearby lakes and rivers unleashed waves that battered already vulnerable infrastructures. As the storm moved inland, fears of flooding intensified, especially in New Orleans, where officials kept a close watch on the developing conditions.

Sheltered inside her mother’s house just outside Morgan City, Laura Leftwich described the escalating winds which had already knocked two sizable birdhouses from their spots in her yard. Despite the chaos, she managed to stay connected through a generator-powered internet connection, even sharing shaky video footage of the streets outside which had transformed into rivers.

In the wake of the storm, emergency preparations were set in motion. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry mobilized the National Guard, deploying resources across affected parishes. Authorities prepared nearly 400 high-water vehicles, around 100 boats, and 50 helicopters to facilitate search and rescue operations if needed. Francine had saturated the region with forecasts of 4 to 8 inches of rain, and some areas could see even more, leading to the potential for flash flooding.

The National Hurricane Center had warned residents to stay indoors as the storm’s eye passed through outskirts of New Orleans. Despite dropping from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Francine sustained dangerous winds and was set to move northeast toward Mississippi, where rainfall and possible tornadoes could affect cities as far as Atlanta.

In the moments following the storm’s wrath, the atmosphere was tense yet oddly calm. Luis Morfin, who sought refuge at a friend’s home while leaving his RV behind, expressed confidence in his preparations: “We knew what we were expecting,” he said, ready to cook on a propane stove while the neighborhood was plunged into darkness.

Meanwhile, President Biden granted an emergency declaration for Louisiana, paving the way for quicker federal assistance. The local emergency management agencies, including that of Mississippi, distributed vast quantities of sandbags in anticipation of the storm’s progression.

As the storm’s impact reverberated through the communities nearest the Gulf, people remained alert, watching as the winds howled and rains fell, uncertain of what the next few hours would bring.

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