Louisiana Residents Evacuate, Make Final Preparations for Tropical Storm Francine

Mandatory evacuations are now underway as Louisiana prepares for the arrival of what will be Hurricane Francine by tomorrow evening. “All of south-central and southeastern Louisiana [are] under the gun with this storm,” meteorologist Jay Grymes said during a press briefing on Sept. 10. Residents still had the rest of the day to prepare, he said, but landfall was expected around mid-afternoon or early evening on Sept. 11, and tropical storm or hurricane-force conditions are going to be felt all across the I-10 and I-12 corridor. Tropical Storm Francine is expected to reach hurricane status on Sept. 10, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As of its 1 p.m. CT advisory, the storm’s maximum sustained winds are up to 65 mph, and tropical storm-force winds (39 mph and greater) extend 140 miles from its center....