Hurricane Francine live updates: Louisiana hours away from landfall

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Francine strengthened on Tuesday into a Category 1 storm, with winds reaching 75 mph, as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or early evening in Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Latest forecast

Tropical storm conditions have reached the Louisiana coastline, and life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected to begin in the next few hours leading up to Hurricane Francine’s landfall.

A hurricane watch is in effect in New Orleans, where the worst impacts will be Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday night.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, including New Orleans.

Storm surge will worsen throughout the day. Up to 10 feet of storm surge is possible in parts of Louisiana; up to 5 feet is possible in the New Orleans area.

Flash flooding is a major threat for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Conditions across Louisiana will start to improve overnight as Francine weakens and moves north into Mississippi.

Francine will rapidly weaken after landfall and become a tropical storm by Thursday, but it’ll still bring heavy rain to the South.

Flash flooding will remain a threat through the end of the week as Francine moves north into Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri.

The threat for isolated tornadoes will continue through Thursday morning, especially in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin

Conditions deteriorating in southern Louisiana

Conditions are deteriorating in southern Louisiana as Hurricane Francine gets closer to landfall.

The storm, located 120 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, is moving northeast at 13 mph.

Rain bands are moving on shore and the dangerous winds are closing in.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin

‘The time to evacuate has now passed’

With hours to go until Hurricane Francine makes landfall in Louisiana, “the time to evacuate has now passed,” Jacques Thibodeau, the director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said at a news conference.

“It is now time to go down and hunker down,” he said. “We are no longer in the, ‘Prepare for a hurricane’ — we are now in the, ‘Respond to a hurricane.'”

The White House has approved an emergency declaration for the state. The Louisiana National Guard expects to have 2,400 guardsmen ready for the storm, along with 58 boats, 101 high water vehicles and 61 aircrafts, officials said.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he’s been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, and said he’s fully confident in all state and federal agencies working together before, during and after the hurricane.

Landry also encouraged residents to “take advantage of the power that you have currently and make sure that you charge all of your devices.”

-ABC News’ Alexandra Faul

New Orleans residents should start sheltering in place

Residents in New Orleans should stay off the roads beginning at noon ET and remain sheltered in place until Thursday morning, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

“Conditions will worsen throughout the day—stay safe!” she tweeted.

Latest forecast

Francine is churning north as a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds.

Landfall is forecast Wednesday afternoon or early evening as a Category 1 hurricane near Houma, Louisiana.

Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and hurricane-force winds are bearing down on Louisiana.

The storm surge could reach 10 feet along the Louisiana coast and wind gusts could hit 70 mph in New Orleans.

“Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

By Thursday morning, Francine will be bringing rain and gusty winds to Mississippi, and potential tornadoes to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Throughout the day Thursday, the heavy rain and tornado threat will move into northern Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Flash flooding is possible near Memphis and Nashville.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

Weather warnings for Gulf Coast states

A raft of warnings was issued for cities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama ahead of Hurricane Francine’s expected landfall on Wednesday afternoon.

A hurricane watch was issued for New Orleans, with hurricane warnings for Morgan City and Houma on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

Tropical storm warnings are in place further east, covering cities including Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama.

Storm surge warnings were announced for both Biloxi — where water may rise up to 5 feet — and Mobile, where water levels may rise by up to 4 feet.

Francine is expected to make landfall as either a high-end Category 1 or low-end Category 2 hurricane, with winds between 90 and 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The Category 2 classification begins with winds of 96 mph.

Landfall may bring tornadoes in areas around New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile and Pensacola, Florida.

Heavy rain may cause flash flooding from New Orleans all the way up to Jackson, Mississippi through to Wednesday night. As the storm moves into Mississippi on Thursday, it is forecast to produce flash flooding and gusty winds.

Francine is expected to stall through Thursday night into Friday morning, bringing heavy rain to Memphis, Nashville and Paducah, Kentucky.

Francine 295 miles from Louisiana coast

Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall southwest of New Orleans as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon.

As of early Wednesday, Francine was 295 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, heading northeast at 10 mph.

Data collected by Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that the storm strengthened in the early hours of Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds close to 85 mph — up from 75 mph on Tuesday night.

New Orleans under Hurricane Watch

Emergency officials in New Orleans, Louisiana, warned residents on Tuesday that they should be prepared to shelter in place as Hurricane Francine approached landfall.

A Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch were issued for areas along the southern Louisiana coast, including New Orleans. A Flood Watch was also issued in Orleans Parish through Thursday morning, the city said.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency proclamation.

“The storm track has shifted more towards the east, which has the potential to worsen impacts for the city, but the storm remains disorganized,” the city said in a statement.