Hurricane Francine (2024)

After forming in the western Gulf on September 9, Francine made landfall in far southwestern Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, about 29 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, at 2200 UTC (5 p.m. CDT) on September 11, 2024, as a Category 2 hurricane with 90-knot (104 mph) winds.^1,2 A station north of Eugene Island measured a 91-knot (105 mph) gust, and hurricane-force gusts were also recorded at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner.¹ Storm surge flooded 5 to 8 feet above ground just east of the landfall in Terrebonne Parish, reaching communities such as Cocodrie and Dulac, and 3 to 5 feet along Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi coast.¹ Wind damaged trees, power lines and several structures in Terrebonne Parish, where NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $20 million in property damage in each of the parish's upper and lower zones.^2,3

Rain of 10 to 11 inches fell south and north of Lake Pontchartrain, with a peak of 11.93 inches at Covington, and flash flooding inundated many structures across southeastern Louisiana.¹ In St. Charles Parish, more than 350 homes and businesses flooded, worst in Norco, and Storm Events lists $52.5 million in property damage.⁴ In Kenner, 264 homes flooded, mostly around Loyola Drive, and Storm Events lists $39.6 million in flood damage in Jefferson Parish.⁵ About 250 structures in St. James Parish were damaged by wind or flooding.⁶ NHC reported no deaths and four injuries, and cited an NCEI estimate of $1.3 billion in damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and other infrastructure.¹