2 PM Tropical Update: Hours away from Francine landfall

Think so. All right, Alexa take it away. What do you got for us? Now, we do have a big update. Actually, we've been talking about the rain all morning. We're a couple hours away from official landfall of Francine, but the northern part of the eye wall is approaching the coast now. So Terrebonne Parish starting to see the northern part of the eye wall approach the coastline at this point. So we're getting to the point where a couple of hours from now, this the eye will be moving on shore. But just that northern side of the eye wall starting to approach the coast, bringing the gusty winds, of course, and the heavy showers for Terrebonne Parish and parts of Vermillion Bay. Now, uh a wider look at the area. We're just experiencing the outer bands, the heavy bands of showers that comes in heavy tropical downpours some small breaks in the showers. But with the showers, like we've been mentioning, they can kind of twist and rotate. So we'll watch for any isolated tornado potential. If there was a quick spin up, it will be quick. It wouldn't last that long. But something to keep in mind if you do happen to get a tornado warning the next couple of hours, just stay away from windows and doors, just continue to kinda stay inside. I hate to keep saying hunker down but kind of wait it out and just, uh, just ride this thing out because we got a couple, uh, several more hours of heavy rain and strong winds. So the strongest of the winds will start to, uh, pick up getting into the late later half of the afternoon and through tonight as the eye uh approaches um landfall. So landfall still expected throughout the late afternoon evening time frame, but starting to see that northern edge of it move into Terrebonne Parish. So HOA will be seeing some very strong winds. I wanted to show you the winds for our immediate area now. So at this point, sustained winds 1525 plus MPH. Those gusts only at 2025 MPH now. But expecting those hurricane force winds for Terrebonne Parish and for the center of the storm throughout the course of today by the late afternoon and evening. And those worst possible wind gusts may be up to 70 to 80 MPH near the center, the center of the storm for Tre Parish, for our Bayou parishes and for the river parishes this evening. So worst case scenario gusts 7080 MPH. So that can certainly knock out some power. We could get an isolated gust up to 70 MPH or so in the New Orleans Metro, but generally expecting tropical storm force winds across the entire area, just have those phones and those devices charged. Of course, we'll continue to watch the rain move in this afternoon. So the heaviest of the showers happening now that will continue for the next several hours into the of the later evening hours tonight. So we can get some flooded roadways. Make sure you're staying off the roads at this point. You're inside, you're avoiding any flooded roadways. If you have an absolute emergency and you have to get outside, you wanna avoid those flooded roadways today, but stay off the roads. If you can even through early tomorrow, we could still see that standing water because we've got the surge coming in plus the heavy rain. So there can be some standing water on the roadways going into the next um the next day. So it will take time for the water to recede. I want to show you the wind graphic like we were mentioning the strongest of the storms, of course, right in that center core. So from Mor Morgan City, Vermilion Bay, parts of our bayou and river parishes, we'll be seeing the strongest of those winds uh coming in for the evening hours. This is around seven o'clock tonight, you know, give or take during the evening hours. That's when the strongest of the winds pushing in for our Bayou Parishes, River Parishes and then getting into tonight as the system moves inland, still packing some stronger winds near the core, especially towards Baton Rouge late tonight. But those stronger winds also, uh expanding along I 55 parts of Tangipahoa Parish can be seeing those pretty strong winds, uh getting into tonight around 50 to 73 MPH. So certainly seeing those strong winds across the entire area of 39 to 58 MPH, tropical storm force, but closer to hurricane force winds right near the center for our western spots, Baton Rouge especially, but even places like Laplace and Hammond getting in on those higher gusts getting into tonight. So we've got several hours to kind of wait this thing out. Uh It's not gonna be until overnight. We'll see those improving conditions expected overnight hours. We'll see the rain shift off to the north and that's when, um, really things will start quieting down for us. So switching back over to the radar just so we can kind of track this thing and see, you know what's currently happening. We've got the heavy rain happening. Now, the winds will continue to increase the rest of today, the strongest of the winds expected tonight, really early evening dinner time and then overnight things will subside overnight. It may be a little bit windy, especially for our northern spots, North shore and Southwester Mississippi staying windy overnight, but really starting to see things drying up and clearing up overnight. We'll stay a little breezy early tomorrow. But tomorrow, that's when we see those winds wrap around and come in from the west tomorrow, breezy west winds 10 to 15 MPH should help kind of push the water away off the coastline and help kind of that surge problem through tomorrow just slightly. But like I was mentioning, there can still be some standing water even after the rain is done tomorrow. So another look at this, I did wanna mention like how I said, some of these storms can have that twisting mo uh twisting motion. So we are under a tornado watch for today because of that isolated tornado risk. That's, that's the really the lowest on on the list of things to worry about. It's kind of the heavier showers coming in, the strong damaging wind gusts that will probably knock out some power going into this evening and knock out maybe down some trees and doing some minor damage uh through today. Hopefully, we'll get lucky. We won't have to deal with, with a lot of damage with this storm. But really the good, the good silver lining is is that it's not gonna be with us for that long. Like we've been saying this, once it moves on shore, we will be moving pretty quickly by tonight. We'll be seeing those, those quieter calm conditions coming in overnight overnight. So past midnight, we get into the overnight hours, things really start to settle down. But yeah, the northern part of that eye of that eye wall approaching uh Terrebonne Parish. So our coastal spots, Trebon Parish starting to see the heaviest of those showers within the band uh within that eyeball band and some of the strongest tropical storm force and hurricane force winds going into uh Terrebonne Parish now. So I wanted to pull up another graphic again just to show you the cone like we always show you kind of what you can expect. We have several more hours of, of rough weather, but, but that's about it. So the latest cone still indicating that the storm is going to maintain its strength. There's a category one at landfall this evening and around maybe dinner time 57 pm tonight, it will be moving inland and then as it moves inland, it still will pack those strong winds along the I 55 corridor towards Baton Rouge tonight. So strong winds still anticipated as we move inland. And then by tomorrow, very early, it will already be in near Jackson just in the Jackson vicinity by early tomorrow morning. And then it's out here into the Midwest by this weekend. So we just have a few more hours of rough weather, the roughest of the weather coming in during the late afternoon and evening today and into tonight. But overnight things kind of quieting down and I know we wanted to talk, um uh we have several reporters out, out on the ground, you know, getting in, uh getting into like seeing what's exactly happening out on the ground. And so it's really vital that we're seeing what they're, they're getting into how much of that water is piling up and how much of the surge is already starting to happen. Like we've been mentioning, our low tide is actually coming in later this evening, which may help a little bit. I know it's kind of a small silver lining. But the low tide that is expected going into this evening will, will help the the surge problem ever so slightly. I want to look at these winds. Now, current buoy readings, of course, the strongest of the winds near the center of the storm, the hurricane force winds right near the center of the storm, but starting to expand and reach closer to Vermilion Bay and we'll start to see those strongest hurricane force winds go right along the coastline over the next couple of hours. And then those strong hurricane force gusts are possible as the storm travels inland this evening. So just keep that in mind, the rice of the weather is still ahead. So you think, oh, you know, we're good, everything's fine. You know, it's just a little bit of rain and wind, things will start to kind of increase, getting into the rest of today when it comes to um the the the damaging wind potential. And um really, that would be the biggest thing is the wind and the surge with this. Like we've been saying the surge is still going to be with us throughout the course of today. Now, I did wanna throw, throw in another graphic here, loading up kind of the wind threat. Um, just so you can kind of get an idea of where you live and what is expected for you. Also, I did get a, a latest update from the National Weather Service. There is actually a uh a wind reading coming in from Coari sustained winds in Cocodrie right now. This is from the National Weather Service sustained 75 or 74 mile per hour gusts uh at a station uh just off in Coari. So it is a little bit elevated. Um this, this reading but 74 mile per hour wind gusts uh oh no. Uh excuse me, sustained 74 mile per hour. Uh and Coari with a gust of 91 MPH. So let me, let me redo this Coari right now gusting at 91 MPH, just offshore, sustained winds at 74 MPH. So seeing those winds pick up for our coastal areas, like I was mentioning Coari seeing that gust at 91 MPH. This just in of the National Weather Service sustained winds, hurricane force for uh just offshore Coari is 74 MPH. So the winds picking up for our coastal areas. This is what we have the strongest of the winds starting to push on shore. But like this graphic shows our coastal areas, Terrebonne Parish, coastal areas of Terrebonne and Lafoe can see those gusts between the 80 to 90 plus mile per hour range like they're seeing now 91 mile per hour gusts just offshore of Coca. So that's what we have at this point. And then we'll continue to see those strong damaging winds for our coastal areas and into parts of our river parishes into the evening hours, 70 to 90 mile per hour gusts possible for western Terrebonne, Houma, Morgan City could see that action later today. Also for our river parishes, 50 to 80 mile per hour gusts possible getting into this evening and then further eastward for the New Orleans Metro area can't rule out some stronger gusts maybe up to six, 70 MPH for the New Orleans Metro. The further east you go expecting maybe 40 to 60 mile per hour gusts and then South Mississippi, maybe 20 to 40 mile per hour gusts. So we're talking some pretty, pretty strong winds across the area that can do some damage when it comes to, you know, knocking out power, especially with the saturated grounds, knocking out some trees. If a tree falls down down on a power line, we know what's gonna happen with that. So this is what we have for the latest at this point. We have another update coming in from the National Hurricane Center at three o'clock. They're updating every um, hour to get you the latest information since it is approaching the coastline just a few more hours and it will be on shore. So the northern eye wall again, approaching Terrebonne Parish and we'll continue to watch as this eye pushes on shore this evening and will bring us the strongest of the winds but already seeing the reports of 90 mile per hour gusts just offshore of Coari from a uh ship shoal reading. I believe it is just off of Coari. So one of those uh monitoring stations just off shore uh for near those oil rigs. So that's where we're getting that data from now. 91 mile per hour gusts just offshore of Coari sustained winds at 74 MPH. So seeing those very strong winds already roll into our coastal spots early this afternoon and that will continue to be the trend into the rest of today. So we'll be here monitoring all of this with you every minute of today. We'll be here until it moves on shore and moves inland, will be with you until the storm passes off and out of our area. And we are expecting to see those improving conditions getting into the overnight hours with a dry day tomorrow and some nice weather coming in tomorrow and this weekend to hopefully clean up anything that happens and hopefully minimal damage. We're hoping for minimal damage with this system coming in, but at least tomorrow and this weekend we'll have some dry, nice days to kind of, kind of get through and pick up what, whatever seems, whatever happens through today.