How to keep track of Louisiana road closures for Hurricane Francine

This screenshot from DOTD's 511la.org/#:Alerts website shows road closures in Louisiana as of 1:05 pm Wednesday as Hurricane Francine closes in on South Louisiana

Hurricane Francine has so far caused the closure of four roads, either due to rising water or to closing floodgates, Louisiana Secretary of Transportation and Development Joe Donahue said at a media briefing Wednesday.

So far, officials have closed:

• Barataria Boulevard  in Jefferson Parish at Kestrel Lane in Estelle for a floodgate closure
• Louisiana 3147 in Vermilion Parish, heading to Pecan Island due to high water
• Louisiana 27 in Cameron Parish, from the Calcasieu River to Old Ferry Rd due to water on the roadway.
• Louisiana 317 in St. Mary Parish, from Exxon 1 Lane to the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area, which is closed, Donahue said.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry advised people to stay off the roadways.

“The time to evacuate has now passed. It is the time to … hunker down,” Jacques Thibodeaux, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said Wednesday.

Francine is expected to make landfall as either a Category 1 or 2 hurricane near Morgan City later Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service predicts the storm will pass between Baton Rouge and Hammond before heading into southwest Mississippi by Wednesday night, though many computer models show Francine moving more to the east.

Francine poses a slight tornado risk to areas east of track. A hurricane warning was issued for portions of Plaquemines Parish, but there have been no reports of damage so far.

Storm surge of 5-10 feet are predicted on the impacted portions of the Louisiana coastline between the Cameron-Vermilion parish line and Port Fourchon. A surge of 4-6 feet is possible for the western shore Lake Maurepas and and the northern edge Lake Pontchartrain.

Francine’s rainfall is forecast to create a moderate risk, or at least 40% chance, of flash flooding over the next five days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Many more road closures are expected imminently, Donahue said. He advised people can stay up to date by calling 511, checking online at 511la.org/#:Alerts or checking the Louisiana 511 app.

Up-to-date road closure information will not be posted on the Get a Game Plan app, where the state has most of its hurricane related information, Donahue said, although the state is looking at integrating the two apps for further storms.

After publication, the following notable roadways have closed:

• Louisiana 23 in Plaquemines Parish from Jump Basin Rd to Sooner Ln due to a floodgate closure
• Downman Rd in New Orleans from Stars and Stripes Blvd to Louisiana 47 due to a floodgate closure

This report will be updated

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