Texas and Louisiana remain on alert as Tropical Storm Francine was named in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. Francine continues to churn toward Texas with 50 mph winds. Hurricane watches are now in place for the Louisiana coast.
HOUSTON – Tropical Storm Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, and millions of people along parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Texas to Louisiana are bracing for a potentially life-threatening hurricane strike this week.
The current forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) calls for a Category 1 hurricane landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday evening.
Francine, which had been known as Potential Tropical Cyclone Six, comes as we enter the peak of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Right on schedule, forecasters are tracking multiple areas of concern for potential development this week.
“While it is too soon to pinpoint the exact location and magnitude of impacts, the potential for life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds are increasing for portions of the Louisiana and upper Texas coastlines beginning Tuesday night,” the NHC said.
What’s the latest with Tropical Storm Francine?
(FOX Weather)
As of the latest advisory from the NHC, Tropical Storm Francine is located about 245 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande or about 480 miles south-southwest of Cameron, Louisiana.
ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON REACHES PEAK SEPT 10
Where are watches and warnings in effect because of Tropical Storm Francine?
(FOX Weather)
Because of Francine’s threat, a Hurricane Watch has been issued from Cameron eastward to Grand Isle in Louisiana. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
A Storm Surge Watch has been issued from east of High Island, Texas, eastward to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including Vermilion Bay, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Pontchartrain.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued east of High Island, Texas, to Cameron, Louisiana, and from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the Mouth of the Pearl River including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
WHAT TO DO WHEN HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR YOUR TOWN
Where is Tropical Storm Francine going?
(FOX Weather)
The NHC said Tropical Storm Francine is expected to move just offshore of Mexico’s northern Gulf Coast through Tuesday, then approach the Louisiana and upper Texas coastlines on Wednesday.
Tropical Storm Francine is forecast to intensify through Wednesday and will likely become a hurricane before it reaches the U.S.’s northwestern Gulf Coast.
Francine is expected to dump 4-8 inches of rain, with localized amounts up to 12 inches, from the coast of far northeastern Mexico northward along portions of the southern Texas coast and across southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi into Thursday morning. This rainfall would lead to the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APP
The NHC has released its flight plan for the next few days, which includes multiple flights scheduled to sample the environment around Tropical Storm Francine.
(FOX Weather)
The Hurricane Hunters will be flying routinely throughout the next few days to obtain “fixes” on the exact position of the storm’s center.
(FOX Weather)