Hurricane Francine Nears Louisiana Landfall

The outer bands of Hurricane Francine moved into Louisiana on the morning of Sept. 11 in the final hours before its eye makes landfall. The National Hurricane Center announced at 10 a.m. Central time that Francine was about 150 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. Life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected to begin in the state in the afternoon, the storm center said. Hurricane-force winds (74 mph or greater) extend 40 miles out from the storm’s center, and tropical storm-force winds (39 mph to 73 mph) extend out 115 miles. The storm’s center is now expected to make landfall in or around the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area and Game Preserve at about 7 p.m. Central time. From there, it is expected to turn north-northeast, passing between Baton Rouge and New Orleans before crossing into Mississippi along Interstate 55....