Hurricane Francine Hits Louisiana, Striking New Orleans with Wind and Rain – Reuters

By Ned Randolph

NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Francine made landfall in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to New Orleans, while threatening the broader Gulf Coast with a dangerous storm surge that prompted evacuation orders for thousands.

With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the hurricane’s eye moved inland over southern Louisiana, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) west-southwest of New Orleans, as reported by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The center briefly upgraded Francine to a Category 2 storm just before it made landfall, although it was classified as a Category 1 storm at that time. Even as a Category 1, its winds posed significant risks of damage, and areas across Louisiana and Mississippi were under a life-threatening storm surge warning.

Over 200,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana experienced power outages. The French Quarter, a popular tourist destination in New Orleans, saw a heavy police presence and very few people on the streets.

On Bourbon Street, Gina Kralek mentioned she was working at the Clover Grill in place of colleagues who had evacuated. “Normally I evacuate, but I’ve got my three dogs,” she explained. “Not everyone wants to take me with the dogs.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and U.S. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm, unlocking emergency management resources and potential financial aid for impacted areas.

Financial researcher Moody’s reported that over 78,000 commercial real estate properties, valued at approximately $143 billion, were in the storm’s path, with a high likelihood of encountering winds strong enough to cause damage.

Several counties along the Louisiana Gulf Coast imposed mandatory evacuations, while the state transportation department provided maps for those evacuating. The city of New Orleans distributed sandbags at multiple locations.

As Hurricane Francine approached, many recalled the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which resulted in nearly 1,400 fatalities and $125 billion in damages, as documented by a 2023 hurricane center report. As water from Lake Pontchartrain began to rise over its seawall, it was noted that a $14.5 billion levee system built since Katrina includes stormwater gates designed to protect the city’s drainage canals from storm surges.

By late afternoon, grocery stores had boarded up their windows after a rush of last-minute shoppers. Steve Rodriguez, a longtime resident of New Orleans, shared that he was prepared with ample supplies. “We’re all set. We have our canned goods. Have our supplies,” he said.

The storm had already begun disrupting energy production and agricultural exports in the Gulf of Mexico. Reports indicated that nearly 39% of oil production and almost half of the total production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was offline as of Wednesday, leading to the evacuation of 171 production platforms and three rigs.