Tropical Storm "Francine" has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to become a Hurricane TONIGHT, with probable landfall WEDNESDAY in Louisiana, tentatively between Lake Charles and New Orleans.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* The Louisiana coast from Sabine Pass eastward to Morgan City
From the National Hurricane Center, here is the forecast "cone" for the track of this storm:
You folks along the Gulf coast know this drill; you've done it countless times before: GAS-UP YOUR CAR now, before everyone else tries to do it, and gas stations run out of fuel - as they always do in such situations!
Get Emergency food, water, medicines you need to live. Have a generator with spare fuel to keep your refrigerator running so as to not lose all your food. Have a manual can opener to open your canned food! Have a flashlight for each room in the house, or for each family member. Have spare batteries for those flashlights. Have a portable radio for news and information, and spare batteries for that radio.
Have a way to COOK without electric power: a barbecue grill or gas grill.
Keep abreast of official information and developments.
If officials order an evacuation - GET OUT. Hurricanes are not "just a lot of wind and rain." They are absolutely DEADLY weather emergencies. Take this seriously.
Don't tell yourself, I'll get my food and stuff after work. It could be too late by then. Take time DURING THE DAY TODAY, to get what you need before it gets sold out.
8:28 AM EDT --
UPDATE 12:36 PM EDT --
The "Spaghetti Models" are firming-up for the actual track of what will, tonight, become Hurricane Francine:
Francine has about 24-30 hours to strengthen over warm water . . .
