As Francine barreled through Louisiana, it brought fierce winds that blew over trees, fast-moving floodwaters that inundated roads and trapped cars, and caused tree branches to break off and catch fire after falling onto power lines.
LSU lifts shelter-in-place order for campus
Louisiana State University lifted its shelter-in-place order for campus this morning.
“Please exercise caution while moving around the campus,” the school wrote on X. LSU said there were “no major impacts to campus” from Francine.
Classes had been canceled for today because of the storm.
Louisiana governor to hold press conference at 12:30 p.m. ET
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will host a press conference on Francine’s damages and recovery plan at 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT) .
Locals in Louisiana are waking up to survey the damage done by Hurricane Francine, which has left neighborhoods underwater and knocked out power affecting tens of thousands of residents.
NBC correspondent Jesse Kirsch spoke with a resident in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, who told him she and her family called for help from the waist-deep water but rescue teams were unable to reach her. Instead, she and her family climbed on top of the roofs of their cars to stay above water.
12 million under flood warnings
At least 12 million people are under flood warnings after some 3 to 6 inches of rain were possible in parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, with up to 10 inches possible in some spots in parts of Alabama and Florida, forecasters said. They warned of the potential threat of scattered flash flooding as far-flung as Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta.
Francine slammed the Louisiana coast last evening with 100 mph winds in coastal Terrebonne Parish, battering a fragile coastal region that hasn’t fully recovered from a series of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021. It then moved at a fast clip toward New Orleans, pounding the city with torrential rains.
Mississippi governor says no injuries reported from Francine
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said no injuries have been reported in the state from Francine so far.
More than 160 people used shelters last night as the state was battered by the storm, the governor wrote on X. As of this morning, 51,000 are without power in Mississippi — a decrease from a high of 64,000.
Flooding remains ongoing in parts of the state along with road closures. Damage assessments will start this morning.
“Heavy rain is expected to continue through at least this afternoon, so please continue to stay weather aware,” Reeves wrote.
Francine weakens to tropical depression, but flood alerts and tornado watches are in place for parts of the South
Francine weakened to a tropical depression this morning as it heads northeast, bringing flood alerts to multiple states and a tornado watch to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Francine brought fierce winds to Louisiana with top wind speeds of 105 mph reported on Eugene Island, 97 mph in Dulac and 78 mph at New Orleans International Airport. It also brought intense rain with the highest amounts reported around the New Orleans metro area and 7.33 inches reported at the airport.
Today, 14 million people are under flood alerts including the metro areas of New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama and Panama City, Florida.
There’s also a tornado watch for portions of southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET). Today, isolated tornadoes will be possible across Alabama and northern Florida.
An estimated 100 homes took on water in city of Kenner
About 100 homes took on water in the city of Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, as Francine passed over dumping rain and triggering devastating flooding, according to city officials.
There were multiple emergency response calls in the University City neighborhood overnight, city public information officer Natalie Newton told NBC News. Newton said she wasn’t aware of any injuries as a result of Francine.
As of 7:30 a.m. ET, there are still several parts of the city that are flooded and damage assessments have not been done yet as city workers continue to respond solely to emergencies.
26 rescued from floodwaters in Lafourche Parish
In Lafourche Parish, southern Louisiana, 26 people trapped in rising flood waters from Francine were rescued last night.
Deputies responded to a call about residents trapped in housing units on Lasseigne Road in the city of Thibodaux around 7:30 p.m. All of the residents, who included young children, were safely evacuated and transported to an emergency center at Lockport Community Center, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
A curfew remains in effect in the parish until 10 a.m., and residents are asked to shelter in place until them.
Southern Louisiana suffers direct hit from Hurricane Francine
Hurricane Francine battered southern Louisiana with powerful winds up to 100 mph, ripping off roofs and knocking out power for tens of thousands. After making landfall, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. NBC’s Tom Llamas reports and the "TODAY" show’s Al Roker tracks where the system is headed next.