Tropical Storm Francine forms off the coast of Mexico, threatening Texas with rain

Tropical Storm Francine formed off the coast of Mexico on Monday and is forecast to lash the Texas coast with up to a foot of rain before hitting Louisiana at hurricane force on Wednesday night.

“On Wednesday, conditions will be very dangerous for parts of the north-central Gulf Coast, particularly along the Louisiana coast, where storm surge and hurricane-force winds could cause flooding,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.

Francine points to a stretch of coastline that has yet to fully recover since Hurricanes Laura and Delta decimated Lake Charles, Louisiana, four years ago.

The storm was located about 395 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande River and about 770 kilometers (480 miles) south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, the NHC reported.

Its maximum winds were about 53 mph (85 kph) on Monday morning. A tropical storm is defined by sustained winds between 38 and 73 mph (62 to 117 kph).

Francine is expected to reach hurricane strength as it approaches the northwestern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, bringing a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters), forecasters say.

“Francine is forecast to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of significant flash flooding along the coast of extreme northeastern Mexico, portions of the southernmost Texas coast, the upper Texas coast, southern Louisiana, and southern Mississippi through Thursday morning.”

“There is a risk of flash and urban flooding in parts of the south-central region from Wednesday through Friday morning,” the NHC warned.

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