The beast made landfall in Morgan City as a Category 2 hurricane, roaring with 100 mph (155 km/h) winds just after 5 p.m. local time—an apocalyptic vision turned reality. Even after being downgraded to a tropical storm, Francine didn’t relent. Mississippi was slammed next, with 35 mph winds, as the storm bulldozed its way north, setting its sights on Tennessee and Arkansas.

Emergency declarations were issued in both Louisiana and Mississippi. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry issued a no-nonsense order: “Stay home.” His warning underscored the sheer danger of the situation.

Flash flooding? Absolutely catastrophic! Torrential rains inundated streets and submerged homes. In Lafourche Parish, 26 people had to be rescued from their waterlogged houses, while 80 mph winds reduced trees to mere matchsticks. One police officer barely survived when a tree crashed down on him during a cleanup effort.

Even as Francine weakened, her impact was far from over. Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and the Florida Panhandle were bracing for relentless rain and flash floods that could dump up to 10 inches of water. Major hurricane warnings spread like wildfire, with storm surges threatening to drown coastlines under 10 feet of water!

Over 350,000 homes in Louisiana were plunged into darkness, and tens of thousands more in Mississippi and Alabama faced power outages. Jefferson Parish urged residents to conserve water as the floodwaters surged into Morgan City. The oil and gas industry took a massive hit, with Exxon and Shell evacuating staff and halting operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Francine hit during an unusually quiet period following an unexpected calm in the Atlantic hurricane season. Yet, the storm demonstrated that the lull was just a prelude to the storm’s ferocious return. With memories of Katrina’s devastation still fresh—claiming thousands of lives 19 years ago—the threat felt more menacing than ever.