'Stay inside,' forecasters say as Francine hits southern Louisiana as Category 2 storm

Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Hurricane Francine has gone ashore in southern Louisiana in the parish of Terrebonne, about 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City.

The Category 2 storm is packing 100-mph sustained winds, according to National Hurricane Center forecasters.

They said the storm is expected to diminish relatively quickly now that it is over land, but risks for property and people remain for Wednesday night and into Thursday.

"Heavy rains and hurricane-force winds are spreading inland across southern Louisiana," forecasters said late Wednesday afternoon local time. "Now is the time to stay inside and away from windows. Have multiple ways to receive warnings and updates."

According to the latest NHC advisories, a monitoring station on Eugene Island on Wednesday afternoon reported a peak gust of 105 mph. The minimum pressure measured at that location was 976 mb (28.82 inches).

In its 4 p.m. update , the NHC said Francine had intensified and had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, up from 90 mph reported earlier.

Francine had been moving northeast at a slightly faster speed of 17 mph as of the latest advisory.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Louisiana coast from Vermilion/Cameron Line eastward to Grand Isle.

A hurricane watch was in effect for metro New Orleans, Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. A Storm surge warning was in effect for Cameron Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama Border; Vermillion Bay, Lake Murepas and Lake Pontchartrain.

Francis reached Category 2 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale by Wednesday afternoon.

"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC update statement said. "Francine is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches across southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday night."

Now that landfall has been made, the storm is expected to move northward into Mississippi Wednesday night and Thursday, forecasters said.

Francine is packing heavy rain, which is expected to turn into urban and coastal flooding once the storm reaches land.

The storm system is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches across much of Louisiana and Mississippi through early Friday, according to forecasters, who warned the increased risk will bring "considerable flash and urban flooding."

Tropical storm-force winds are extending some 35 miles from the center of the storm.

Port Fourchon to the mouth of the Mississippi River could see a storm surge as high as 7 feet while High Island, Texas, near the Bolivar Peninsula, could reach 5 feet.

"The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves," the center said. "Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycles and can vary greatly over short distances."

The NHC said storm surge is not expected to pose a threat to reduction system levees.

So far this hurricane season there have been five other named storms -- Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby and Ernesto. Beryl, Debby and Ernesto became hurricanes.