'The time to evacuate has now passed'
With hours to go until Hurricane Francine makes landfall in Louisiana, "the time to evacuate has now passed," Jacques Thibodeau, the director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said at a news conference.
![PHOTO: A worker for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West climbs a ladder up a floodgate to lock it closed along the Harvey Canal in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Sept. 10, 2024.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/4cb87e08-ee92-49ce-ad24-0c4117737c02/francine-prep-02-ap-jef-240911_1726057375260_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg)
"It is now time to go down and hunker down," he said. "We are no longer in the, 'Prepare for a hurricane' -- we are now in the, 'Respond to a hurricane.'"
The White House has approved an emergency declaration for the state. The Louisiana National Guard expects to have 2,400 guardsmen ready for the storm, along with 58 boats, 101 high water vehicles and 61 aircrafts, officials said.
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he’s been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, and said he’s fully confident in all state and federal agencies working together before, during and after the hurricane.
Landry also encouraged residents to “take advantage of the power that you have currently and make sure that you charge all of your devices.”
-ABC News’ Alexandra Faul