Francine intensified into a hurricane Tuesday night and is predicted to bring life-threatening storm surges and strong winds as it approaches Louisiana’s coast. The National Hurricane Centre stated an aircraft reconnaissance crew reported that Hurricane Francine had strengthened, with maximum sustained winds near 85 mph and higher gusts. At 10 p.m. Tuesday, the storm was heading northeast at 10 mph and was approximately 185 miles east-northeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande and 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Earlier in the day, AccuWeather hurricane specialist Alex Dasilva said the storm appeared to be coming together, with high water temperatures in the Gulf potentially acting as “rocket fuel” for the system. The storm battled dry air all Tuesday, delaying its arrival at hurricane intensity.

“Now that Francine has a well-organised core, significant strengthening seems likely through Wednesday morning while the system remains over hot waters and in low wind shear conditions,” the hurricane centre stated in its forecast discussion.

The centre also stated that computer models used to estimate probable increases in intensity “show Francine strengthening quickly” and approaching Category 2 strength by Wednesday. However, increased wind shear and dry air intrusions “should end the opportunity for strengthening just before Francine reaches the coast,” according to the centre.

Landfall is expected on Wednesday on the central Louisiana coast, roughly between Lafayette and Houma, with a potentially fatal storm surge and up to a foot of rain. Hurricane Francine is expected to proceed north with heavy rain into Mississippi, then northward into the Mississippi Valley as a tropical depression, reaching Memphis on Thursday night.

Forecasters warned that Francine is still a major storm with substantial life-threatening potential for storm surge and flooding, regardless of the wind speeds at landfall.

Hurricane Francine is expected to weaken quickly as it reaches land. However, as a tropical depression, it could still bring torrential rain over Mississippi, southern Alabama, and northward into the Mississippi Valley. The National Weather Service predicts a few tornadoes for Wednesday in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who had already issued a state of emergency, asked locals to “get a game plan, listen to local officials, and follow your local news” to help reduce Francine’s impact. Parts of the state may experience storm surges ranging from 5 to 10 feet, with widespread flooding and up to a foot of rain in isolated areas.

Mandatory evacuations have been issued in several Texas and Louisiana coastal communities. Some schools were closed, and sandbags were provided before the expected extensive flooding.

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