Storm Francine Races Across US South, Slammed with Rain and Wind – By Reuters

By Ned Randolph

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Storm Francine swept through the southern United States on Thursday, unleashing heavy rain and strong winds that resulted in significant power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.

Although it had downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane to a tropical depression as it passed over central Mississippi, the storm still produced winds of 35 miles per hour (55 km/h) and posed threats of dangerous storm surges early Thursday morning, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center. It was anticipated to weaken further and transition into a post-tropical cyclone later in the day.

In Houma, Louisiana, a low-lying coastal city where the storm made landfall on Wednesday evening with winds near 100 mph (160 kph), 72-year-old Christine Bundy was setting up a new generator she had recently purchased. "A Cat. 2 is nothing," she remarked during a phone conversation. "This house has been through every storm since 1975."

It took the devastating Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm that struck Louisiana in 2021, to instill a sense of respect and fear in Bundy. "Ida took our roof off, tore up the fence and everything," she reflected. "With this one, we’re just cleaning up a little."

Heavy rainfall was anticipated throughout the day across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle, with some areas potentially receiving up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain before the storm dissipated completely, as noted by the National Weather Service.

Due to widespread flooding, government offices, schools, and libraries closed across the region. "Our drainage system just couldn’t keep up," stated Jennifer Van Vrancken, a councilwoman in Jefferson Parish, part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. "This will be a flood where people remember getting water inside their homes."

Residents of New Orleans were advised to conserve water on Thursday due to a significant failure at a sewage treatment plant.

The storm left over 400,000 homes and businesses without power, and numerous people required rescue from floodwaters across the three-state region. In Lafourche Parish, just south of New Orleans, local authorities reported rescuing more than two dozen individuals, including small children, from rising waters on Wednesday evening.

The renowned French Quarter in New Orleans, famous for its bars and restaurants, was largely deserted on Wednesday, featuring a notable police presence and few pedestrians. Additionally, a Carnival cruise ship was held at sea while awaiting the reopening of its home port in New Orleans.

Both Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in preparation for the storm, allowing for the mobilization of emergency management resources and potential financial aid for serious damages.

In Metairie, approximately eight miles from central New Orleans, Richard Ayla was clearing leaves from his muddy yard, where water had surged from the street and nearly inundated his vehicles, which he had moved closer to the house. "We got some water on the side in our kitchen, but I’m not sure if it was from the yard or through the ceiling," said Ayla, a remodeling contractor. "We got some roof damage and leaks."

In Dulac, Louisiana, a coastal fishing community located about 70 miles (110 km) southwest of New Orleans, fisherman Barry Rogers rode out the storm on his 80-foot shrimp boat instead of at home. "It was a lot worse than the weatherman said it was going to be," he commented. "It moved pretty good."