USA Tropical storm "Francine" sweeps across US southern states

Tropical storm "Francine" has brought heavy rain and squalls to the city of New Orleans and surrounding regions in the US state of Louisiana. At least 26 people had to be rescued from flooded homes in Lafourche Parish, southwest of New Orleans, as reported by CNN, citing the sheriff's office.

In addition, almost 400,000 power customers in Louisiana were temporarily without electricity, according to the website Power Outage. After making landfall in the European night, the former hurricane weakened somewhat according to the US hurricane center (NHC) and is now only considered a tropical storm. It will now move further inland over the course of Thursday and also cover the neighboring states of Mississippi and Alabama as well as areas in Florida with heavy rainfall, according to the latest situation report from the NHC.

The US weather service warned of dangerous flash flooding in the metropolitan area of the southern metropolis and in the wider area in the south of the state. Photos and videos showed flooded streets and heavy rain showers whipping in the wind through the famous French Quarter nightlife district in New Orleans. There was initially no news of major damage or casualties.

Even before "Francine's" arrival on the south coast of Louisiana, there had been warnings of heavy storm surges and heavy rainfall. The governor of the state had already declared a state of emergency on Monday. Many schools were closed and evacuation orders were issued in several districts.

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. According to experts, increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.

SDA