Tropical Storm Francine Forms in Gulf, Expected to Hit Louisiana

Authorities warn that Tropical Storm Francine, which appeared in the western Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 9, is set to intensify and become the first named storm in the Atlantic in more than three weeks. The National Hurricane Center says Francine is expected to become a Category One Hurricane on Sept. 10 and make landfall in Louisiana on the evening of Sept. 11. Boasting maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, it was spotted by the hurricane center 245 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande. Tropical-storm-force winds extend 160 miles out from the storm’s center. A hurricane watch has been issued for most of Louisiana’s Gulf coast from Cameron to Grand Isle....