Francine’s heavy rainfall forces dramatic water rescues as even more flooding is on the horizon

Francine is spreading dangerous conditions across the South Thursday after it slammed into Louisiana with extreme rainfall, life-threatening flooding and destructive winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands amid reports of flooded homes.

Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 hurricane late Wednesday afternoon and weakened to a tropical depression Thursday morning as it tracked into the South, bringing flooding rainfall and prompting flood alerts for more than 10 million people. Storm surge was a serious concern for parts of eastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi early Thursday. By Thursday afternoon, Francine had deteriorated into a post-tropical cyclone. Though its winds no longer pose a major threat, heavy rain will continue falling in the Southeast on Friday. Up to 8 inches of rain could douse the region through Friday. As the storm slows down, it will linger for longer over areas it passes through, exacerbating the risk of flooding. Flooding caused by rainfall has become the deadliest threat of tropical systems in the last decade.

Now a post-tropical cyclone, Francine is expected to rain itself out over the Southeast Friday and then fully dissipate over the weekend. Flooding still poses a significant threat in the region Friday while the storm releases more heavy rain. Flood watches are in effect for around 8 million people across parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, the Weather Prediction Center said. The watches begin to expire Friday evening and Saturday morning. The heaviest rainfall is expected for Friday across central Alabama, though 2 to 4 inches are possible across Arkansas, Kentucky and Georgia.
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