Storm Track Update: Francine weakens to Category 1 hurricane after making Louisiana landfall

WHO'S GOING TO STEP ON, STEP OFF MAGIC OF TELEVISION. HERE WE GO WITH FRANCINE WEAKENING. NOW WE GOT THE 6 O'CLOCK VOTED IN. AND NOW FRANCINE DOWN TO A CATEGORY ONE WE KNEW WAS GOING TO START TO WEAKEN PRESSURE, STARTING TO COME UP. IT WAS DOWN TO 9.72. NOW 9.75 IN THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION RIGHT IN TERREBONNE PARISH. AND AGAIN, THAT FORECAST TRACK MOVING IT NORTHEAST, I THINK, IS GOING TO BE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT EAST OF THIS TRACK FRENZY HAS BEEN MOVING MORE OF A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION OR EAST NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, THEN A PURE NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. THE PER WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING AS COMPARED WITH THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. STILL THE THREAT OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN THE ZONE IN OUR AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS UP. PROBABLY THE STRONGEST WINDS WERE SEEING RIGHT NOW ARE RIGHT NOW ACROSS MOST OF ACADIANA. AND THEN AS THE STORM BEGINS TO PULL AWAY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS, WE'LL SEE THOSE GUSTS STARTING TO COME DOWN. BUT WE'VE SEEN THE GUSTS IN SAINT MARY PARISH IN THE 60 70 MILE PER HOUR RANGE OF LOST POWER AT PATTERSON. BUT THEY'RE IN THE EYE RIGHT NOW. IN FACT, I GOT A MESSAGE FROM OUR KATC STORMTRACKER WHO WAS TERREBONNE PARISH. HE SAID THE WIND WAS SO GOING BUT IT WAS STARTING TO BRIGHTEN UP AND HE IS ROUGHLY RIGHT ABOUT HERE. SO GETTING THE I EFFECT IN THE WINDS GETTING TO DIE DOWN. BUT DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN YET. YOU STILL HAVE TO GET THROUGH THIS PART OF THE STORM. SAINT MARY PARISH, THE REST OF US IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. WE'VE HAD GUSTY WINDS. WE HAVE SPORADIC POWER OUTAGES FROM SOUTHERN LAFAYETTE PARISH, DOWN THROUGH VERMILION PARISH, SAINT MARTIN AND IBERIA PARISHES. BUT WE REALLY HAVE DODGER HURRICANE BULLET AND MOST OF US NOT EVEN QUITE SEEN TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS. IT'S ALL BEING CONFINED TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT HERE. THIS OUTER RAIN BAND. AND THEN THIS ONE IS THE MOST INTENSE. THIS IS HEADING UP TOWARD THE LOVE PLUS AREA THAT GOT SLAMMED DURING HURRICANE IDA FEW YEARS AGO. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME ACTION COMING UP. BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE CENTER OF THE STORM NOW, TERREBONNE PARISH, THE EYE, THE STORM THERE. SKIES ARE BRIGHTENING FOR OUR FRIENDS DOWN THERE. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, LOTS OF POWER OUTAGES BETWEEN THE MORGAN CITY PATTERSON AREA AND DOWN THROUGH A HOME AND A LOT OF DAMAGE. THAT VIDEO QUITE COMPELLING SHOWING WHAT A CATEGORY ONE STORM DOES. IT IS QUITE MESSY, QUITE INTENSE AND CAN BE QUITE DAMAGING AND DISRUPTIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN POWER GOES OUT AND THEN YOU'RE STUCK DAYS WITHOUT POWER. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ON NOT SO HOT DAY TOMORROW. TEMPERATURES GET HOT AGAIN TOWARD THE WEEKEND, BUT HOPEFULLY MOST FOLKS GET THEIR POWER BACK UP SOONER THAN LATER. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN THE WESTERN PART OF THIS STORM IS PRETTY QUIET. WE TROPICAL RAIN SHOWER DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS ACADIA PARISH. WESTERN SAINT LANDRY PARISH. WE'LL SEE IF BLOSSOMS OUT AND DEVELOPS MORE. SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TRYING TO DO THAT. BUT THE HEAVIEST WEATHER, IBERIA PARISH, SOUTHEAST OF NEW IBERIA TO GENERATE AND THOSE INTENSE RAIN BANDS CONTINUE DOWN FARTHER TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. HERE'S THAT ONE RAIN THAT IS DEVELOPING BY THE CHURCH POINT AREA. LITTLE GUSTY WINDS HERE, BUT NOTHING TOO TERRIBLY BAD. WORST WEATHER FRANKLIN RIGHT NOW SEEING SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS MORE THAN LIKELY WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE VELOCITY PRODUCT COMING UP IN JUST A BIT. AND YOU COULD SEE RAIN IS EASING UP. FINALLY IN THE MORGAN CITY AREA. NOT SO MUCH FOR STEVENSVILLE AGAIN. STILL SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS YOU GET INTO PRETTY MUCH THE BASE AND PART OF UPPER SAINT MARTIN PARISH, BUT WERE MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THOSE DAMAGING WINDS AND WE COULD SEE WHERE THOSE DAMAGING WINDS ARE NOW. PRETTY MUCH OUT OF THE ACADIANA AREA. ON THE OTHER SIDE, CHAPEL I BASIN BY DOWN TOWARD THE STEVENSVILLE AREA. AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING THOSE STRONGER WINDS AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST QUARRY WHAT WE'RE AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE RAINFALL TO BE REALLY PICKING THE WINDS THAT MIGHT BE WORKING THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE GROUND. BUT NOTICE ALL. YES, INDEED, THE WINDS ARE DYING DOWN. WE GO DOWN HERE. STILL SOME GUSTY WINDS ALOFT BUT NOT TOO LET'S COME IN AND COREY OVER HERE AS WE GET FARTHER TO THE EAST SOUTH AND EAST OF THE PIER PAR AREA MAY LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE ACQUIRING RIGHT HERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE STRONGER WINDS STILL IN THE 90 CLOSE TO 100 MILE PER HOUR RANGE. BUT WHAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IS ANYTHING THAT'S TOO TERRIBLY OK? LET'S LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE. THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON RIGHT HERE DOWN AND CHAT 56 MILE PER HOUR WINDS. SO ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A COUPLE OF HERE. LET'S PUT THIS IN MOTION. IF WE CAN, MAYBE IT'LL BE BETTER IF I JUST DO THAT. >> IS THIS MOVING KNOW? THAT'S THAT'S JUST SO SOMETHING THAT THE DOPPLER SITTING SO THAT'S NOT ANYTHING TO BE CONCERNED WITH AT THIS POINT. SO THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS. BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE STRONGEST WIND IS NOW MOVING OUT OF THE KATC VIEWING AREA. AND THAT IS THE BEST NEWS OF ALL. >> AND THE TROPICAL RAIN BANDS THAT WE SEE BEHIND IT. LET'S JUST GO BACK TO THE SWEEPS. THIS RAIN BAND RIGHT HERE IS NOT SHOWING A WHOLE LOT IN THE WAY OF HIGH VELOCITY. SO THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS. WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO PICK OUT SOME 50 OR 60 MILE PER HOUR WINDS 45. THERE'S 31 WE GET ON THE OTHER SIDE. REMEMBER DOPPLER THIS IS MOVING TOWARDS RADAR. THIS IS MOVING AWAY FROM THE RADAR IN THE RED. SO WE HAVE KIND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH RESPECT TO AN ELONGATED. IRELAND REMNANTS OF AN EYE OR PART OF THE CIRCULATION OF A HURRICANE. FRANCINE, THAT IS NOW DOWN TO A CATEGORY ONE. AND AGAIN, THE WINDS HAVE BEEN DYING DOWN ACROSS MORGAN CITY, AMELIA PATTERSON, THAT IS CERTAINLY GOOD NEWS. BUT THE DAMAGE IS DONE. IT'S ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM SUNSET. DO NOT GET ON THE ROAD. DO NOT GO DOWN TO CHECK OUT THE DAMAGE HERE, PLEASE. THERE'S GOING TO BE TREES DOWN. THERE'S GOING TO BE POWER LINES DOWN. THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIVE. WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. WHEN THE SUN IS OUT OR WE HAVE BRIGHTER SKIES EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOLKS IN THE AND THE EMERGENCY CREWS CAN COME IN, START CLEARING THE ROADWAYS. YOU GO DOWN HERE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ON THE ROAD. YOU GET A FLAT. YOU HAVE HIGH WATER. YOU CAN GO IN A DITCH. SO PLEASE, PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS. DO NOT GO BACK DOWN INTO SAINT MARY PARISH IN FOR FOLKS IN SAINT MARY PARISH THAT CHOSE TO WRITE OUT THE STORM, PLEASE SHELTER IN PLACE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. OF COURSE, THERE ARE CURFEWS AND ALL THAT MENTIONED ON OUR NEWSCAST AS WELL. SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND. TORNADO WATCH STILL IN EFFECT. NO TORNADO WARNINGS. THAT'S CERTAINLY GOOD NEWS. WE HAVE FLOOD WATCHES IN EFFECT, BUT LET'S JUST FERRY OUT THE WATCHES AND JUST GO TO FLOOD WARNINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING RIGHT NOW. SO WE CAN KIND OF CLEAR IT OUT. AND THESE ARE WHERE THE FLOOD WARNINGS ARE. MUCH OF SAINT MARY PARISH LOWER SAINT MARTIN PARISH AND THEN PARISHES OFF FARTHER TO THE EAST WHERE FOLKS LIVE. SO THAT'S WHERE THE FLOODING IS ONGOING AT THIS POINT SAYS WE LOOK AT OUR PREDICTIVE RADAR STILL CALLING FOR SOME OF THESE TROPICAL RAIN BANDS TO EXPAND INTO THIS EVENING. WE'LL WATCH THAT. WE'RE GOING TO BE COVERING IT LIVE UNTIL THE WORST OF THE WEATHER IS OVER WITH. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK AND COME BACK FOR THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS. BUT WE'RE GOING CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS ESTATE LIVE WITH YOU AS LONG AS WE HAVE DAYLIGHT AND OUR REPORTERS ARE SAFE AND TO REPORT FROM US. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE WANT TO BRING OUR REPORTERS IN BEFORE IT GETS DARK BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM AT RISK. AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL. SO THAT IS WHAT WILL YOU WILL CERTAINLY DO. AS FOR WIND GUSTS STILL BREEZY OUT THERE AND IT'S GOING TO STAY THAT WAY THROUGH 7, 8 O'CLOCK TONIGHT. BUT NOTICE LAFAYETTE COMES DOWN PRETTY QUICKLY BETWEEN 7 AND STILL 50, 60 MILE AN HOUR GUSTS WITH THE BACK END OF THE STORM. SO IT'S STILL GOING TO BE ROUGH IN SAINT MARY PARISH STILL NOW. AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WINDS COMING FROM A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. WAS NORTHEAST NOW NORTH. SO TREES THAT WERE ALMOST GOING DOWN WILL PROBABLY GO DOWN STILL AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE 10, 11 O'CLOCK TIME FRAME AND THEN THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND TOMORROW, LOOKING MUCH BETTER, OF COURSE. AND AGAIN, ADDITIONAL RAINFALL. THIS MODEL HAS AN UPDATED SINCE THE LAST TIME I SHOWED YOU. BUT HEAVIEST RAIN STAYING WELL OFF TO THE EAST. SO MUCH OF ACADIANA DODGING A HURRICANE BULLET DIDN'T LOOK THAT WAY ABOUT 24 36 HOURS AGO AND WE DON'T WANT TO WISH IT ON ANYBODY ELSE. BUT THIS TIME IT MANIFESTED SAINT MARY PARISH TERREBONNE PARISH, LAFOURCHE PARISH. AND THAT'S WHERE THE STORM SURGE ISSUES ARE AS WELL AT THIS TIME. HOUR BY HOUR. WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT BREEZY CONDITIONS. THIS IS THE ICON FOR WIND. WE SEE THE NORTHERLY WINDS. THESE ARE SUSTAINED STILL KIND OF BREEZY OUT THERE. BUT THEN THE GUSTS IN THE 30, 40, MAYBE 45 MILE PER HOUR RANGE FOR MOST OF US. AND THEN AS YOU GET INTO IBERIA, MAYBE 50 TO 55 THEN SAY MARY, STILL LOOKING AT GUSTS 60 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR. AT LEAST 2.10, O'CLOCK TONIGHT. MOVING FORWARD INTO TOMORROW. AGAIN, MODEL CALLING FOR CLOUDY SKIES, I THINK, IS GOING TO BE HIGH CLOUDS, MAYBE SOME LOW OFF. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME SUN TOMORROW. TEMPERATURES SHOULD PUSH THE MIDDLE 80'S MORNING. START LOWER 70'S. SO SOME DRIER AIR MOVING IN WITH THOSE NORTHERLY WINDS. AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL DAYS AHEAD FOR CLEANUP AND TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS THAT WE NEED TO. AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND AND WE HAVE A NICE STRETCH OF WEATHER GOING ON. BUT AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR, AS OF 6 O'CLOCK THIS EVENING, HURRICANE FRANCINE NOW BEGINNING TO WEAKENED. IT'S DOWN TO A CATEGORY ONE STORM AND I WOULD EXPECT IT TO IN THE 7 O'CLOCK BULLET MAYBE COME DOWN TO 85 MILE PER HOUR. WINDS WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. BUT STILL THE THREAT OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE NEXT. SEVERAL HOURS FOR