Hurricane Francine is expected to strengthen to a Category 2 storm before making landfall this evening. The National Hurricane Center’s latest update shows sustained winds of 95 mph and continues its northeastward movement. In St. Mary Parish, city and parish leaders say they’re ready for Francine’s arrival. Jeff Palermo reports.
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Louisiana’s coast from Cameron to Grand Isle remains under a Hurricane warning with life threatening storm surge from five to ten feet and hurricane force winds expected.
In Lafourche Parish, a curfew will be enacted at noon today and end at Sunrise Thursday morning.
Francine strengthened to Hurricane Tuesday evening and throughout the day yesterday, Francine’s path shifted more and more to the east but National Weather Service Meteorologist Hannah Lisney says she does not expect any additional significant shift in the path.
In anticipation of Francine’s arrival, Tangipahoa Parish is opening three shelters of last resort locations — in Robert, at Restoration Church, in Amite at Amite Community Center, and in the Village of Tangipahoa at Brown’s Chapel.
Storms like Francine can not only bring out the best in people; unfortunately, it can also bring out the worst in people. That’s the message of Attorney General Liz Murrill, who warns that price gouging is illegal.