Local officials across southern Louisiana were clearing storm drains and distributing sandbags to prepare for Hurricane Francine, which was churning in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. Forecasters said that the storm was expected to make landfall on Wednesday, bringing the potential for heavy rainfall and a dangerous storm surge.
Residents across the region were being urged to make their own preparations as the storm reached hurricane strength a day after forming in the Gulf. Many were buying supplies and bracing for the storm surge on Monday and Tuesday.
Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana said at a news conference on Tuesday that agencies across the state were working to prepare by positioning resources where they could be needed.
“We want everybody to be safe,” Governor Landry said. “Once you have decided where you are going to be at the time that the storm comes onshore, you want to stay there.”
Governor Landry declared a state of emergency on Monday to make resources available to parishes, the equivalent of counties in other states, ahead of the storm.
On Monday, Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor-president of the city of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish, said at a news conference in Baton Rouge that residents in the area should prepare immediately.
“It’s crucial that all of us take this storm very seriously,” she said.
At a news conference in New Orleans on Monday, city officials asked residents to prepare enough essential supplies to last through Thursday or Friday. Sandbags will also be made available to residents, Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans said.
“Look out for one another,” Ms. Cantrell said.
Storm surge could be ‘dangerous.’
The National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday that cities along the coast in southern Louisiana could see up to 12 inches of rain through Friday morning. One of the greatest threats, forecasters said, was the risk of a “dangerous” storm surge that could combine with a tide and cause flooding in some areas.
In Port Fourchon, La., floodwaters could rise up to 10 feet if the peak storm surge combines with high tide, the Hurricane Center said.
Donald Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, La., said in a video update on Tuesday that areas around Vermilion Bay, southwest of Baton Rouge, could see significant flooding because of the storm surge.
“The wind direction is going to pile a lot of water into Vermilion Bay,” Mr. Jones said.
Ms. Broome said that local agencies were working to clear storm drains and basins to reduce the risk of flooding. Local governments were also stocking up on sand and sandbags that will be available for residents, she said.
Local officials were ready to open shelters if needed, Ms. Broome said.
Chief T.J. Morse Jr. of the Baton Rouge Police Department said at the news conference that residents should be mindful that venturing out on flooded streets could lead to water rescues that would pull city resources away from other emergencies.
“If you don’t need to be on the road, stay off the road,” he said. “Watch out for that high water.”
The U.S. Coast Guard warned on Monday that its ability to perform rescues during the height of the storm could be “diminished or unavailable.”
Stacy Gilmore, a spokeswoman for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, said that 13 floodgates were closed on Monday ahead of the storm. Another 32 floodgates will be closed on Tuesday in the New Orleans area and in St. Bernard Parish, she said.
The authority conducted inspections of the levees before the hurricane season, and it planned to open its emergency operation center on Tuesday afternoon.
The region prepares ahead of landfall.
On Tuesday, Blaine Broussard, the owner of NuNu’s Markets in Youngsville, La., was helping to place bottled water in customers’ carts at the entrance to his store, where the parking lot was full of people rushing to get groceries, water and ice before the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm.
“People were just not prepared and trying to get everything they need in case they lose electricity,” said Mr. Broussard. “We didn’t know this was coming three days ago.”
Inside the store, the bread and chip aisles are cleared out and novelty cookie cakes decorated with phrases like “I will NOT eat my hurricane snacks” and “Hurricane Party Zone” are “going fast,” said Mr. Broussard.
Preparations were also being made in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell said on Monday that it was evacuating nonessential workers from two offshore facilities, known as Enchilada/Salsa and Auger, near the Louisiana coastline as a precaution. Drilling operations were being paused at two other facilities, known as Perdido and Whale, the oil company said.
The Port of New Orleans said on Tuesday that it would close its terminal on Wednesday, with plans to open on Thursday after assessing any damage.
At the news conference in Baton Rouge, Clay Reeves, director of the East Baton Rouge Parish mayor’s office of homeland security and emergency preparedness, urged residents to make preparations that could be useful in what is expected to be a busy end to hurricane season.
“This is really a tuneup run,” Mr. Reeves said. “We’re going to have a very long season.”
Jason Foster, 47, spent Tuesday afternoon securing his houseboat in Pecan Island, near the south central coast of Louisiana. He said that after living through stronger hurricanes in his hometown, New Iberia, La., he was not too concerned about Francine.
“It’s more about what we’re going to cook for the next 48 hours,” he said.
In New Orleans on Tuesday, Marcus Robinson, 47, was weighing whether to stay in town or sit out the storm in Mississippi, where he owned property. Mr. Robinson said that he was left scarred after surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people, flooded entire neighborhoods, and left widespread damage across New Orleans.
A tropical storm, he could handle. But not a hurricane, Mr. Robinson said, adding that he was wary of the forecasts.
“You can’t predict God’s work,” he said.
The post Louisiana Prepares for Hurricane Francine to Make Landfall appeared first on New York Times.
