Tropical storm conditions expected this afternoon
This morning, Francine remains a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph — but it's expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it begins to move northeast toward the Gulf Coast.
Tropical storm force conditions are expected to arrive along the Upper Texas Coast between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET today and along the Louisiana coast by 2 a.m. ET tomorrow. Francine is expected to make landfall tomorrow afternoon or evening as a hurricane somewhere along the Louisiana coast.
One update to the forecast compared to yesterday is a slight nudge to the east for possible landfall, putting Baton Rouge and New Orleans at higher risk for impacts. However, we are in the timeframe where changes in the track are expected — i.e. the windshield effect — so all locations from Lake Charles to New Orleans remain in the cross-hairs.
For southern Louisiana, rainfall amounts of up to 12 inches and wind gusts in excess of 100 mph will be possible through tomorrow across Louisiana.
Hurricane and storm surge warning area expanded along Louisiana coast
The areas covered by hurricane and storm surge warnings have been expanded by the National Hurricane Center, as Tropical Storm Francine slowly edges towards the Louisiana coastline.
A hurricane warning now stretches from Sabine Pass on the Louisiana-Texas border, all the way to Grand Isle, south of New Orleans — covering almost all of Louisiana's Gulf Coast.
The area covered by a tropical storm warning was widened to the Louisiana coast east of Grand Isle, to include the New Orleans metro area.
Potentially dangerous storm surges are expected from the mouth of the Mississippi River, near New Orleans, to the Mississippi-Alabama border, over the next 36 hours.
New Orleans urges people to prepare for Storm Francine's arrival and shelter-in-place from tomorrow
The people of New Orleans have been urged to complete any preparations for Tropical Storm Francine by tonight and to strongly consider staying at home tomorrow and Thursday. The city is under a tropical storm watch.
City leaders told a news conference last night that the storm is expected to become a category 1 hurricane and could have a severe effect on the city and wider region.
New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold said: "We do believe that this is a shelter-in-place scenario storm and that the public should pay a lot of attention to this."
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urges people to be 'cautious and vigilant'
People in at-risk areas of Louisiana should have a plan in place and be aware of the dangers of the storm, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference last night.
"We want everyone in that state to be cautious and vigilant. We don't want to downplay this event, but we also do not want people to panic," he said.
Landry passed a state-wide emergency declaration last night and there are 23 local emergency declarations across the state, a number that could increase.
Francine continues to build in the Gulf of Mexico
Satellite images captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show Tropical Storm Francine building in the Gulf of Mexico in the early hours of this morning.
New Orleans residents stock up ahead of Francine making landfall
Shoppers in a suburb of New Orleans gather food supplies at a grocery store yesterday as Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall in Louisiana.
How bad will Francine be? 10ft storm surges and up to 12in of rain expected
Dangerous coastal storm surges of up to 10 feet are a major concern ahead of Francine's arrival in the U.S. The Louisiana coast from Cameron to Port Fourchon and Vermilion Bay could see between 5 and 10 feet of storm surge.
"The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves," the National Hurricane Center said.
In addition, 4 to 8 inches of rain is expected from northeast Mexico to Mississippi, with 12 inches forecast in some areas. There will also be "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the NHC said.
Evacuations ordered for coastal areas of Louisiana and Mississippi
People living in low-lying, coastal areas of Louisiana have been strongly advised or ordered to move inland ahead of Francine's arrival on Wednesday.
Cameron Parish, a coastal community between Lafayette and Houston, where the storm is expected to make landfall, is subject to a mandatory evacuation order as of 6 a.m. today.
Grand Isle, a Louisiana town on a narrow stretch of land in the Gulf of Mexico, issued a voluntary evacuation for residents and a mandatory evacuation order for campers and RVs.
Meanwhile, Pass Christian, Mississippi, strongly advised the evacuation of Pass Christian Harbor.