'Rocket fuel' in Gulf propelling Francine closer to hurricane status: Live updates

Tropical Storm Francine was growing more powerful Tuesday as it churned off the Texas Gulf Coast, forecast to reach hurricane status later in the day before slamming onto Louisiana's shore as a powerful force on Wednesday.

"The storm is starting to get its act together," AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex Dasilva said, adding that the high water temperatures in the Gulf were serving as "rocket fuel" for the system.

The National Hurricane Center said Francine was expected to sweep just offshore of Texas through Tuesday then roar into Louisiana before moving into Mississippi on Wednesday night or Thursday. Maximum sustained winds were already near 65 mph with higher gusts Tuesday. "Significant strengthening" was forecast before landfall.

Francine was expected to douse much of Louisiana an Mississippi with 4 to 8 inches of rain, and some areas could face a foot of rain through Friday morning that "could lead to considerable flash and urban flooding."

Developments:

? A few tornadoes are possible Wednesday in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, the weather service said.

? Swells generated by Francine are expected to spread across the northwestern and northern Gulf of Mexico coastline Tuesday and Wednesday.

? Energy companies began evacuating offshore workers at several production platforms ahead of the storm. The port of Brownsville, Texas, was closed and others from Corpus Christi north to Galveston imposed restrictions.

Tropical Storm Francine: Storm approaching the US

In an area struck before, resident is ready

Rick Momin works at Bayaks Country Store in coastal Cameron Parish, which was devastated by two hurricanes just four years ago. Cameron may be in for another devastating storm strike, but Momin says he likes living in the area for the fishing and lifestyle. And he says he is ready for the storm.

"I know that every year somebody is going to get hit, so we have to take what comes," said Momin, 49. "It is Mother Nature. We live by the coast and it's coming."

Louisiana could see worst of Francine

At 11 a.m. ET Tuesday the storm was centered 120 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande River and 425 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana. Francine was heading north-northeast at 8 mph.

"There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge for portions of the Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines," the hurricane center advisory warned, adding that evacuation orders could result. "Damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds are expected in portions of southern Louisiana."

Parts of Louisiana were bracing for torrential rains and winds that could exceed 100 mph. Storm surge combined with high tides could push water levels in some areas 10 feet above ground, the weather service warned.

Louisana recovering from hurricanes Laura, Delta

Parts of southwest Louisiana are still recovering from the double disaster in 2020 imposed by Hurricanes Laura and, six weeks later, Hurricane Delta. The two storms combined to kill at least 49 people in the U.S. and Caribbean and caused more than $20 billion in damage, most of it in Louisiana. Laura made landfall near Cameron, where forecasters say Francine may crash onto land.

In Lake Charles, 50 miles north of Cameron, just days ago a 22-story skyscraper damaged beyond repair by the hurricanes was taken down during a planned demolition. The Hertz Tower had been the city's tallest building.

Francine is the sixth named storm of the season

Francine is the sixth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and the first since Ernesto dissipated on Aug. 20.

The system is one of three the hurricane center is watching. Another is in the central tropical Atlantic and is given a 40% chance of becoming a tropical storm within 48 hours. A storm farther to the east has a 70% chance of development over the next week.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Francine live updates: Storm nears hurricane strength, targets La.