AP – Francine weakened to a tropical storm yesterday after striking Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane that blacked out more than 275,000 homes and businesses, sent storm surge rushing into coastal communities and raised flood fears in New Orleans and beyond as drenching rains spread over the northern Gulf Coast in the United States (US).
The storm downgraded to a tropical depression as it churned northward over Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. Some 10 to 15 centimetres of rain were possible in portions of Mississippi and neighbouring states, forecasters said, warning of the potential threat of scattered flash flooding as farflung as Jackson, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta.
Francine slammed the Louisiana coast on Wednesday evening with 155 kilometre per hour (kph) winds in coastal Terrebonne Parish, battering a fragile coastal region.
It then moved at a fast clip of 26 kph toward New Orleans, pounding the city with torrential rains overnight. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. TV news broadcasts from coastal communities showed waves from nearby lakes, rivers and Gulf waters thrashing sea walls.
