MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Francine formed off the coast of Mexico on Monday and was expected to lash the Texas coast with up to a foot of rain before hitting Louisiana at hurricane force late Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, conditions will be very dangerous for parts of the north-central Gulf Coast, particularly along the Louisiana coast, where storm surge and hurricane-force winds could cause flooding,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.
Francine points to a stretch of coastline that has yet to fully recover since Hurricanes Laura and Delta decimated Lake Charles, Louisiana, four years ago.
Francine was located about 245 miles (395 kilometers) southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande and about 480 miles (770 kilometers) south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, the NHC said. Its maximum winds were about 50 mph (85 kph) Monday morning. A tropical storm is defined by sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph (62 and 117 kph).
Francine is expected to reach hurricane strength as it approaches the northwestern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, bringing a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters), forecasters said.
“Francine is expected to bring heavy rainfall and a risk for significant flash flooding along the coast of extreme northeastern Mexico, portions of the southernmost Texas coast, the upper Texas coast, southern Louisiana, and southern Mississippi through Thursday morning. Flash and urban flooding is a risk for portions of the mid-South region Wednesday through Friday morning,” the NHC warned.
