Hurricane Francine barrels toward Louisiana: ‘The time to evacuate has now passed’

Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday urged Louisiana residents who haven’t evacuated to stay where they are and hunker down until Hurricane Francine passes out of the state. 

“We stand ready to handle whatever Francine delivers to us,” Landry said during a press conference Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

“The time to evacuate has now passed. It is the time to go to ground and hunker down,” said Jacques Thibodeaux, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. 

The Category 1 hurricane is expected to make landfall along Louisiana’s coast Wednesday afternoon, with high winds already reported by midday. Louisiana’s state climatologist Jay Grymes expects the storm to move out of the state shortly after midnight.

Even after the storm passes, Landry said Louisiana residents should stay home and off of the roads as much as possible. It will make it easier for emergency responders and utility repairmen to move around if there is less traffic, he said.

“Make sure you charge all of your devices so you can keep the maximum amount of charge,” Landry said.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux with the Louisiana National Guard said as many as 2,500 members will help with rescue and relief efforts. They are positioning themselves in southeast and south central Louisiana to assist after the storm.

The guard has prepared 58 boats, 101 high-water vehicles and 61 aircraft to use after the storm passes. It has another 270 vehicles in reserve if needed, Friloux said.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has 150 law enforcement agents with trucks and boats on standby to assist with the hurricane, Secretary Madison Sheahan said. More than 400 Louisiana State Police troopers are also available for help, according to Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges.

“If you are in the storm’s pathway, to understand, you may be without utilities for some time,” Landry said.