The Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana in the southern United States on Wednesday, sweeping the coast with violent winds and bringing heavy rains in its wake, raising fears of dangerous flooding.
“Heavy rains and [vents forts] “The hurricanes are moving inland in southern Louisiana,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its bulletin issued at 2200 GMT, urging local residents to stay “indoors and away from windows.”
With winds blowing at nearly 155 km/h, Francine had been reclassified earlier by the American agency as category 2 on a scale of 5.
Even before the hurricane made landfall, heavy rain began hitting the coast in the Mississippi Sound region on Wednesday.
The hurricane could bring up to 30 centimeters of rain in some places, leading to possible flash flooding, including in cities, authorities have warned. New Orleans, a major city devastated by the hurricane Katrina in 2005, could be particularly affected.
Sea levels have already begun to rise along the coast and could temporarily rise by up to 3 meters, according to NHC forecasts.
In Louisiana, many localities have announced evacuation orders. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the state on Tuesday, a move that frees up federal funds to help local authorities.
Sandbag
“The window to prepare for the storm is now closed,” the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness said earlier Wednesday. “We encourage everyone to stay in a safe place until the storm leaves the area.”
In Houma, a small town southwest of New Orleans, residents were busy preparing for the hurricane. “We want to make sure they have gas for their generators and they have essentials with them,” Alicia B., manager of a gas station that remained open, told AFP.
In the streets, sandbags had been placed at the entrances to buildings to prevent water from entering.
The state’s National Guard members are on standby with 32 helicopters, 387 vehicles and 87 vessels mobilized to provide assistance. Some 1.1 million liters of water are stored and ready to be distributed if needed, they reported on X.
Beryl And Debby
Coastal Texas and parts of Mississippi will also be affected, but to a lesser extent.
Francine should quickly lose power after making landfall. The hurricane will then head north across part of Louisiana and then Mississippi.
The National Hurricane Center is constantly monitoring the storm, including sending planes into the center of the storm.
According to forecasts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the end of May, the hurricane season in the North Atlantic – which runs from the beginning of June to the end of November – should be particularly turbulent this year, in particular because of the heat of the oceans, which fuels hurricanes.
This season has already been marked by three hurricanes, including Beryl And Debbywhich left several dozen dead.