TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Hurricane Francine moved inland Wednesday evening after reaching peak winds of around 100 mph earlier in the afternoon.
The center of Francine is moving northeast in the general direction of the state capital, Baton Rouge.
Francine is expected to weaken gradually through the night, but will still be capable of causing wind-related damage, power outages, and flooding issues for southeastern Louisiana through Thursday morning.
This means landfall and direct impacts will stay west of the Big Bend and southwestern Georgia, but we could still see rounds of moderate to heavy rain from this system and the tropical moisture it draws in from the northern Gulf.
Hurricane watches and warnings, storm surge watches and warnings, and tropical storm watches and warnings are up for parts of the central Gulf coast. However, there are no related storm advisories for our local region, though coastal areas will encounter a higher rip current risk and some slightly rougher surf.
As Francine moves along the lower MIssissippi River valley, we will have moisture and rain coverage increasing locally late tonight and Thursday, particularly in the western flank of the region and the Florida Panhandle. A band of heavier rain and embedded stronger wind gusts will affect Panhandle counties and can reach the tri-state early Thursday morning. There will be a low-end chance for wind gusts and waterspouts or tornadoes from the Apalachicola basin westward.
Stay tuned to ABC 27 WTXL First To Know Weather for the latest on Francine and the rest of the tropics.
