New Orleans residents should start sheltering in place
Residents in New Orleans should stay off the roads beginning at noon ET and remain sheltered in place until Thursday morning, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.
"Conditions will worsen throughout the day—stay safe!" she tweeted.
9 hours and 55 minutes ago
Latest forecast
Francine is churning north as a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds.
Landfall is forecast Wednesday afternoon or early evening as a Category 1 hurricane near Houma, Louisiana.
ABC News
Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and hurricane-force winds are bearing down on Louisiana.
The storm surge could reach 10 feet along the Louisiana coast and wind gusts could hit 70 mph in New Orleans.
ABC News
"Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding," the National Hurricane Center warned.
Residents fill up sand bags to protect their homes in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, Sept. 10, 2024, at a distribution site in a parking lot in New Orleans.
Jack Brook/AP
By Thursday morning, Francine will be bringing rain and gusty winds to Mississippi, and potential tornadoes to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Throughout the day Thursday, the heavy rain and tornado threat will move into northern Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Flash flooding is possible near Memphis and Nashville.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
6:16 AM EDT
Weather warnings for Gulf Coast states
A raft of warnings was issued for cities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama ahead of Hurricane Francine’s expected landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
A hurricane watch was issued for New Orleans, with hurricane warnings for Morgan City and Houma on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.
An ABC News graphic shows the latest warnings and watches for Hurricane Francine on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
ABC News
Tropical storm warnings are in place further east, covering cities including Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama.
Storm surge warnings were announced for both Biloxi -- where water may rise up to 5 feet -- and Mobile, where water levels may rise by up to 4 feet.
Francine is expected to make landfall as either a high-end Category 1 or low-end Category 2 hurricane, with winds between 90 and 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 2 classification begins with winds of 96 mph.
An ABC News graphic shows the potential for storm surge from Hurricane Francine on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
ABC News
Landfall may bring tornadoes in areas around New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile and Pensacola, Florida.
Heavy rain may cause flash flooding from New Orleans all the way up to Jackson, Mississippi through to Wednesday night. As the storm moves into Mississippi on Thursday, it is forecast to produce flash flooding and gusty winds.
Francine is expected to stall through Thursday night into Friday morning, bringing heavy rain to Memphis, Nashville and Paducah, Kentucky.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
5:49 AM EDT
Francine 295 miles from Louisiana coast
Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall southwest of New Orleans as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon.
As of early Wednesday, Francine was 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, heading northeast at 10 mph.
Data collected by Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that the storm strengthened in the early hours of Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds close to 85 mph -- up from 75 mph on Tuesday night.
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image taken at 7:10 p.m. ET shows Hurricane Francine in the Gulf of Mexico as it advances towards Louisiana on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP