Hurricane Francine upgraded to Category 2

FRESH OFF THE ENDORSEMENT OF VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS. COULD SHE PASS BEYONCI FOR THE MOST EVER? WE HAVE IT COVERED TONIGHT. >>> WE ARE STARTING WITH BREAKING NEWS. THE 5:00 EASTERN NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER OF DATE HAS JUST COME IN ABOUT 90 SECONDS AGO. FRANCINE IS A CATEGORY TWO STORM. IT IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS SOON AS THIS HOUR OR THE NEXT IN LOUISIANA. OUR TEAMS ARE THERE. THE WATER RISING ALREADY IN NEW ORLEANS. THE CITY THAT MIGHT TAKE THE DIRECT HIT. PEOPLE GETTING READY FOR FRANCINE TO BRING A LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE. FLASH FLOODING. THE POTENTIAL FOR HURRICANE FOREST WIND. TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. HERE IS A LOOK AT THE CLOUDS ROLLING IN AND RAIN COMING DOWN. MORE THAN 2300 NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARE SENDING BY READY TO SUPPORT ANY AFFECTED AREAS. WE ARE EXPECTING LANDFALL TO HAPPEN SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AVERY ISLAND AND THE CITY. YOU SEE THE LOUISIANA COAST IN EFFECT FOR 9 MILLION PEOPLE. MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA. A LITTLE BIT THE WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA. FOLKS THERE ARE GETTING READY, BRACING FOR WHAT IS TO COME. GETTING FOOD AND WATER. SEND BAGS TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT THEIR HOMES FROM FLOODING. THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZING FEMA TO COORDINATE DISASTER RELIEF. LET'S GET TO THE TEAM WHO IS COVERING ALL OF IT. WE HAVE THEM OUT IN THE FIELD. JESSE KIRSCH, BILL KARINS, JESSE, I WILL START WITH YOU. IN NEW ORLEANS, FLIGHTS ARE CANCELED. TALK US THROUGH WITH THE CURFEWS IN PLACE. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AND EXPECTING? >> Reporter: THE WIND STARTED TO PICK UP AGAIN. THE HEAVY RAIN WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR FOR THE DAY, IT ALREADY PASSED THROUGH. WE ARE EXPECTING CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE DETERIORATING. WE COULD SEE 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAINFALL PER HOUR. AT THE WORST OF FRANCINE. WE ARE WAITING FOR LANDFALL. THE TRUCK HAS SHIFTED AS IT ALWAYS DOES TO THE WIRE. IT IS NOW LOOKING LIKE NEW ORLEANS IS CLOSER OR DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF FRANCINE. OUR TEAM REMINDED ME THAT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HURRICANE, WHERE NEW ORLEANS HAS BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT, THAT IS THE SIDE THAT GETS THE MOST DEVASTATING WIND AND RAINFALL. WE WILL KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR IMPACT. A CAR WENT BY AND ANOTHER ONE IN THE DISTANCE. SOME TRAFFIC ON THE ROADS BUT NOT A LOT OUT THERE. THAT'S WHAT OFFICIALS ARE HOPING TO SEE. THEY HAVE ASKED PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS SINCE NOON TO BE SHELTERING IN PLACE. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR, HE SAID THAT AT THIS POINT IT IS PASS THE TIME TO BE EVACUATING. NOW IS THE TIME TO HUNKER DOWN AND WAIT FOR LANDFALL. >> NO KIDDING. LET ME GO TO KATHY WHO IS IN BATON ROUGE. TALK US THROUGH EXPECTATIONS WHERE YOU ARE AND HOW IT COMPARES TO HURRICANES PASSED IN THAT AREA? >> Reporter: THAT IS RIGHT. WE ARE IN DOWNTOWN. WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND IT IS A GHOST TOWN. EVERYTHING IS SHUT DOWN IN ADVANCE OF HURRICANE FRANCINE. THIS IS PROBABLY THE WORST WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR. THE RAIN HAS PICKED UP AND THE WIND IS PICKING UP. AS JESSE MENTIONED, CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DETERIORATE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE GOVERNOR STRESSING THAT IT'S THE TIME TO HUNKER IN PLACE. FIND SHELTER. AFTER THE STORM PASSES, DO NOT GO OUT. YOU WANT TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO WORK AND THE UTILITY CREWS TO MAKE REPAIRS. YOU MIGHT BE SEEING FLASHING LIGHTS. WE SAW THIS MOVE IN A FEW MINUTES AGO. THIS IS A VEHICLE HOLDING EMERGENCY RESPONSE EQUIPMENT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. YOU HAVE FEDERAL, LOCAL, STATE, DIFFERENT AGENCIES COMING TOGETHER. THEY ARE MOBILIZING QUICK AND MONITORING THE TRACK AS CLOSELY AS WE ARE. IN BATON ROUGE, WE HEARD FROM THE MAYOR. SHE SAID THAT THEY PREPARED FOR DAYS. CLEANING OUT THE DRAINS. THEY PUT OUT 30 TONS OF DEBRIS. A LOT OF DEBRIS AND SHE FELT CONFIDENT GOING THAT ANY RAMY INOCENCIO GET HERE , THE DRAIN SYSTEM AND INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD HANDLE IT. HAD A CONVERSATION WITH FOLKS YESTERDAY. 2016, THE YEAR THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WILL NEVER FORGET. IN THIS AREA, AUGUST, A SYSTEM STALLED PARTS OF BATON ROUGE AT 20 INCHES OF RAIN. A LOT OF FOLKS ARE SCARRED. THEY DO NOT WANT A REPEAT OF THAT. THIS TIME AROUND THEY KNOW IT IS IMPERATIVE TO PREPARE AND EARLY. THAT'S WHAT THEY DID EARLIER THIS WEEK. >> BILL, LET ME GET TO YOU. THE HURRICANE HAS STRENGTHENED TO A CAT TOO. >> MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES AND ROOFS. A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THAT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS. NOTICE THE WOBBLE. WOBBLES TO THE EAST. HURRICANE CENTER SAYS MORE MOTION TO THE NORTH. IT'S NOT A HUGE STORM BUT THE EYE OF THE THING IS ENORMOUS. THERE IS A NEW UPDATE. IT IS GROWING FAST. IT WILL BE IN AND OUT IN A HURRY. 70 MILES OF PER HOUR. THIS IS WHERE THE HUNDRED MILE PER-HOUR WIND GUST IS POSSIBLE. WE WILL SEE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE HERE. YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS. MORGAN CITY IS IN THE MIDDLE. FROM EAST TO WEST, 90 MILES ACROSS. THAT IS HUGE FOR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN BATON ROUGE AND NEW ORLEANS IS ABOUT 90 MILES. IF WE TAKE THIS NORTHWARD, THE EASTERN PORTION COULD BE IN NEW ORLEANS AND THE WESTERN PORTION IN BATON ROUGE. IT WILL CONSOLIDATE AND SHRINK AS IT GOES NORTH, BUT IT GIVES THE IDEA THAT THE MASS IS WHAT WE WILL TRACK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. ANYBODY WHO GOES TO THE RING OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LOSING POWER. THAT'S WHEN THE DAMAGE WILL ACCORD. -- OCCUR. HAD A REPORT OVER 100 MILE-PER HOUR ON OIL RIGS OFF THE COAST. WE HAD REPORTS AROUND 60 TO 70. ONCE YOU GET ABOVE 50 WE WILL START GETTING POWER OUTAGES. BATON ROUGE AND LOUISIANA, AROUND 33 AND 26. THIS IS REALLY THE MAIN SHOW. WHEN IT WEAKENS AND DIES OFF, THAT'S WHEN THE STORM WILL DIE OFF. THE MAIN BAND AS IT GOES NORTH, STILL HAS A CHANCE TO PRODUCE 70 MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS. ANYWHERE FROM 80 TO 100 WHERE IT IS MAKING LANDFALL ON THE COAST. A LOT OF THE BIG SHIPS WITH THE TINIEST WIGGLES. IF NEW ORLEANS DOES NOT GO THROUGH THE HEAVY RAIN, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A LOT OF DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. IF THEY DO, IT IS 10 TIMES WORSE. A CLOSE CALL AS WE TRACK THA