Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane

Hurricane Francine left hundreds of thousands without power and caused widespread flooding after hitting the Louisiana coast before making landfall.

It made landfall in Morgan City as a Category 2 hurricane at 17:00 local time on Wednesday, packing winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

A flood emergency was issued in New Orleans after six to eight inches (15-20cm) of rain fell.

Francine was downgraded to a tropical storm but maintained winds of up to 70 mph as it passed north and west of New Orleans, the NHC said late Wednesday.

Both Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi have declared states of emergency and told residents to seek shelter and brace for a major storm.

Governor Jeff Landry said in a press conference on Wednesday that citizens should “stay off the streets, stay home and stay safe”.

Francine is expected to continue to “rapidly” lose power as she travels across the country, forecasters said.

It was expected to bring 4-8 inches (10-20cm) of rain, possible tornadoes and damaging winds to much of central and eastern Louisiana, forecasters said.

More than 330,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana lost power as of Wednesday night, according to Poweroutages.us.

A new tornado watch has been issued for parts of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle until 06:00 local time Thursday (12:00 BST).

Officials in Jefferson Parish, which is part of Greater New Orleans, urged residents to stay indoors because of “major street flooding” on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Morgan City Police Department said the city was experiencing “flooding” and asked people not to drive on flooded roads.

Residents in eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and western Florida were warned of a life-threatening storm.

A storm surge means there is a risk of water rising up the coast and moving inland. In some places, water can rise up to 10ft (3m).

All flights in and out of the New Orleans airport were there canceled for Wednesday.

Many of the state’s coastal counties are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders. Some schools and colleges are closed.

US oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico, including Exxon Mobil and Shell, have laid off workers and halted some operations.

Jefferson Parish, which neighbors New Orleans, asked residents to conserve water to prevent sewage from entering homes.

New Orleans reported that some cell phone customers were unable to call 911. Anyone in an emergency is asked to call the police emergency number.

Louisiana recently marked the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people and caused extensive damage.

The state mobilized resources and deployed water rescue teams before Francine hit, the governor said, and was prepared to call on the National Guard for support if needed.

Francine’s development follows a quiet August and early September during the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually lasts until November. Experts earlier this summer predicted a busy season.

Sarah Keith-Lucas, the BBC’s weather presenter, said the storm followed “very quiet weather in the Atlantic region”.

“The previous storm that was named in this area was Ernesto, back on August 12,” he said.

“The last time we didn’t have hurricanes named at this time was 1968. This time of year is the season for major hurricanes. Last year nine hurricanes were named between August 13 and September 8.”

Francine is the sixth hurricane of 2024.

Hurricanes are classified on a scale of one to five. Category five hurricanes are the most destructive, with winds over 157mph (250km/h).

There were 19 named storms during last year’s hurricane season.