Tropical Storm Francine Forms in Gulf, Expected to Hit Louisiana

By T. J. Muscaro

Authorities warn that Tropical Storm Francine, which appeared in the western Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 9, is set to intensify and become the first named storm in the Atlantic in more than three weeks.

The National Hurricane Center says Francine is expected to become a Category One Hurricane on Sept. 10 and make landfall in Louisiana on the evening of Sept. 11.

Boasting maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, it was spotted by the hurricane center 245 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend 160 miles out from the storm’s center.

A hurricane watch has been issued for most of Louisiana’s Gulf coast from Cameron to Grand Isle.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for areas near the coastline, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, the area west of Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River near Mississippi, and the area from Cameron to just east of High Island, Texas.

A tropical storm watch continues for the area surrounding the Rio Grande from Barra del Tordo, Mexico, to Port Mansfield, Texas.

While it is expected to remain offshore, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Brownsville, Texas, confirmed the area has received nearly three inches of rain between 12 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 9.

A storm surge watch is also in effect for the coast from High Island, Texas, to the Alabama–Mississippi Border.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is predicting a five to 10-foot storm surge between Cameron, Louisiana, and Port Fourchon. From there to the mouth of the Mississippi River, four to seven feet of surge is expected.

The coastline to the east, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, is expected to see two to four feet of surge.

Three to five feet of storm surge is expected from Cameron, Louisiana, to High Island, Texas, and even one to three feet is anticipated for Galveston Bay.

The NHC says the waters are not expected to threaten levees, but there may be some flooding.

The center says the deepest water will be along the immediate coast and the surge will be accompanied by “large and dangerous waves.”

In terms of rainfall, the NHC said Francine is expected to deliver four to eight inches of rain, with localized amounts of up to 12 inches “from the coast of far northeast Mexico northward along portions of the southern Texas coast, the far upper Texas coast and across southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi” through to Sept. 12.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) on Sept. 8 to “activate additional state emergency response resources” ahead of the storm.

Emergency resources are on standby, including swift water rescue boat squads from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service; a tactical marine unit; highway patrol troopers; helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Department of Public Safety; and the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force.

Personnel from the Department of Transportation are ready to monitor road conditions.

“Texas stands ready to provide all available resources needed to support Texans as a severe storm system begins to move along the Gulf Coast that will bring potential flash flooding threats and heavy rain,” Abbott said in a press release.

“Texans are urged to take the necessary precautions for potential tropical weather, including remaining weather aware, monitoring road conditions, and having an emergency plan to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.”

Louisiana is also beginning preparations.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) launched a new version of its “Get a Game Plan” mobile app on Sept. 3.

“Stay alert and be prepared,” Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X on Sept. 8. ”Remember to GetAGamePlan.org for essential safety tips and strategies.”

GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux said: “Families often stay safer and suffer less loss when prepared for an … emergency.”

Thibodeaux said the new version of the app “helps with the overall preparedness process.”

“We encourage everyone to download the app, provide the information, and use the results from the formula to help with planning,” he said.

If Francine develops into a hurricane, it will be the second one this season to hit the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, after Hurricane Beryl.