This system is expected to make landfall in Louisiana Wednesday afternoon or evening and will also cause dangerous rip currents along the Alabama and Florida coastline through the end of the week. Hurricane Hunter aircraft are investigating the storm.

Residents are being urged to finish storm preparations. Francine is expected to bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.

The National Hurricane Center said Francine, a hurricane when it hit land, was weakening rapidly but was still a heavy rainmaker across several Gulf Coast states.