Recovery Begins as Francine Weakens to Tropical Depression in Mississippi

Francine was downgraded to a tropical depression on Sept. 12 as it made its way north through Mississippi. According to the National Hurricane Center, sustained winds are down to 35 mph, but heavy rainfall continues to fall on Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle. It made landfall on the Louisiana Gulf Coast 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, as a Category 2 hurricane around 5 p.m. local time on Sept. 11, boasting winds of 100 mph. In its wake, nearly 400,000 Louisiana residents and more than 60,000 Mississippi residents were left without power. Megan Williams, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s New Orleans office, told The Epoch Times that Louisiana received roughly eight to 10 inches of rain within two hours....