Hurricane Francine: Essential information

Everything you need to know about evacuations, shelters and closures as Hurricane Francine moves in for landfall.

Hurricane Francine is nearing landfall as a Category 2 hurricane near Franklin, Morgan City and Emilia, Louisiana, about 90 miles southwest of New Orleans. Landfall is likely to occur on Wednesday evening between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT (3 and 5 CDT).

Oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico near the storm reported wind gusts to 105 mph Wednesday morning. Wind gusts over 100 mph are possible in the area where Francine makes landfall, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 130 mph.

Voluntary and mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Francine

Hurricane Francine poses a significant threat to New Orleans and the broader Gulf Coast region. The storm has caused the shutdown of a quarter of the Gulf's oil and gas production, while parishes throughout Louisiana issued evacuation orders to ensure residents' safety.

Assumption Parish

A voluntary evacuation was issued for the entire parish at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Those living in low-lying areas, mobile homes and RVs were encouraged to consider evacuating.

Cameron Parish

A mandatory evacuation order was issued for all of Cameron Parish starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Cameron OHSEP said there will be no ambulance service in Johnson Bayou, Little Florida, Long Beach, Gulf Breeze Beach, and Holly Beach. Service will return once the evacuation order is lifted.

The mandatory evacuation order for the community of Hackberry was downgraded to a voluntary order at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Iberia Parish

Iberia Parish President M. Larry Richard urged residents living south of U.S. Highway 90 and other vulnerable populations to evacuate.

A portion of Iberia Parish is on the northeast part of Vermilion Bay, which could experience a 5—to 10-foot storm surge. "Residents who choose to remain may find themselves without power and unable to leave the area until floodwaters recede and storm debris is removed," he said.

Jefferson Parish

A mandatory evacuation order was issued at 8 a.m. Tuesday for Grand Isle and Lafitte residents outside the levee protection system.

Jefferson Davis Parish

A voluntary evacuation was issued at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday for low-lying areas.

St. Tammany Parish

The city of Mandeville called for a voluntary evacuation of Old Mandeville south of Monroe Street due to expected flooding from Lake Pontchartrain.

Lafayette Parish

Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Blanco-Boulet issued a voluntary evacuation for those in low-lying areas and vulnerable populations at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Lafourche Parish

Mandatory evacuations were issued Tuesday morning by Parish President Archie Chaisson III for residents in a FEMA or state house unit and for those south of the Leon Theriot locks.

Chaisson recommended voluntary evacuations for anyone living in the lower Bayou Blue community, Eagle Island Road, in a mobile or pre-fabricated home, low-lying areas or anyone who has special medical needs. Evacuations began at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Lafourche Parish also enacted a curfew beginning Wednesday at noon and ending at sunrise on Thursday, about 6:45 a.m. All businesses should be closed by noon Wednesday to allow employees to return home, officials said.

Plaquemines Parish

Mandatory evacuations were issued Monday evening for areas outside the levee protection system, including Lake Hermitage, Happy Jack, Myrtle Grove, Tidewater Road, Venice, White Ditch to Phoenix, Woodpark and Grand Bayou.

Voluntary evacuations were issued for Eastbank and Venice North to Alliance.

Tangipahoa Parish

Amite, Ponchatoula and the Village of Tangipahoa are under curfew for Francine.

Amite initiated a curfew starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The Village of Tangipahoa will also be under a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew from Tuesday through Thursday.

Ponchatoula's curfew began at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Terrebonne Parish

An evacuation order was issued for Zone 1 in Terrebonne Parish, which largely includes the west and south portions of the parish. Residents must be out by 6 a.m. Wednesday.

American Red Cross has deployed disaster workers

The American Red Cross is deploying trained disaster workers and staging emergency response vehicles, meals and shelter and relief supplies to areas in the path of Hurricane Francine.

As they become available, residents can find their nearest evacuation shelter by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App or visiting redcross.org/shelter.

You can find and download hurricane safety checklists in various languages at redcross.org and download the FREE Red Cross Emergency App to find emergency shelters near you.

During a disaster or emergency, you can rely on Red Cross shelters for:

Meals, snacks and water.

Health services (for disaster-related conditions) such as first aid, refilling lost prescriptions or replacing lost eyeglasses.

Emotional support and mental health services.

Charging stations for cell phones and medical devices.

Emergency supplies to help clean up after a disaster.

Access to multi-agency disaster-related resources in the community.

Access to caseworkers to help you with disaster recovery planning and financial assistance for those who qualify.

Preparedness and Safety Tips:

Louisiana residents in low-lying beach areas and flood-prone areas should take additional precautions. It is crucial for residents to remain informed and monitor news and weather updates closely. Residents are advised to take precautionary measures by securing outdoor belongings and preparing an emergency kit to be storm-ready.

Sign up for weather alerts:

Get the FREE AccuWeather app

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Louisiana residents: Sign up for your community or county warning system. Follow local weather alerts.

Download the free FEMA App available in English and Spanish languages to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area. You can find more hurricane preparedness information on Ready.gov and Listo.gov (Spanish language).

Put together an emergency kit

Gather food, water, and medicine. Organize supplies into a Go-Kit and a Stay-at-Home Kit.

Go-Kit: 3 days of supplies that you can carry with you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.)

Stay-at-Home Kit: 2 weeks of supplies. Stores and pharmacies might be closed.

Have a 1-month supply of medication in a child-proof container.

Create a communication plan with your family

Include important contact information in your communication plan, such as:

Phone numbers and email addresses for everyone in your household

Phone numbers for your household's health care providers (doctors, pharmacists, counselors, and veterinarian)

Phone numbers and addresses for schools, childcare providers, caregivers, and workplaces

Phone numbers for emergency services, your utility providers, and your insurance companies

Poison Control Center: 800-222-1222

Animal Poison Control Helpline: 888-426-4435

Disaster Distress Helpline: 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746

Review evacuation routes

Heed all directions of local emergency management, especially as it pertains to evacuations. If you must leave, bring your pets with you.

Find a local shelter,

Find an open Red Cross Shelter near you

Do not drive across flooded roads or past protective barriers. Turn around, don't drown.

Visit Drivetexas.org for flooded roads and conditions.

Protect pets

The best thing you can do for your pets is to plan ahead so you are ready to care for them during a disaster. Bring your pets indoors as soon as local authorities say a storm is coming and have your pet emergency preparedness kit ready.

Contact your local emergency management agency for information about which emergency shelters allow pets. Try to call the shelter before you go, as some pet-friendly shelters may require advance notice. Your local humane society or veterinary hospital may also have information about where you can take your pets during an evacuation.

You can also go to a pet-friendly hotel or motel instead of a shelter. Have a list of pet-friendly lodging handy in case you need to evacuate quickly.

Natural disasters affect animals as much as they do their human counterparts. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) works with local, state, federal, non-governmental, and sector partners to help plan for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters that affect livestock, companion animals, and service animals.

AccuWeather Team Coverage

AccuWeather is providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage of Hurricane Francine’s landfall with a dedicated team of expert meteorologists, reporters, and storm chasers strategically positioned across the Gulf Coast.

Our team is working around the clock to deliver real-time updates, in-depth analysis, and the latest storm developments. From the initial impact to the aftermath, AccuWeather’s comprehensive reporting ensures you stay informed and prepared during this critical weather event.

You can also tune into the AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW for live coverage featuring hurricane experts and reports from the field. The AccuWeather Network is accessible via cable TV, while AccuWeather NOW offers comprehensive live streaming available on AccuWeather.com, Roku, Zumo, STIRR, LG, and Plex.