Tropical Storm Francine made landfall in the southern US state of Louisiana on Thursday after strengthening into a Category 2 storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
“Francine made landfall in southern Louisiana in Terbonne Parish, about 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, as a Category 2 hurricane.” – says a warning posted on social network X.
State authorities have issued evacuation orders across the Louisiana coast. Schools and government offices are closed.
Maximum wind speeds will be around 155 km/h (100 mph), forecasters say. However, media outlets note that this is the first time a hurricane has made landfall in Louisiana since Category 4 Hurricane Ida hit the state in 2021.