Both Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi have declared states of emergency and advised residents to take shelter and prepare for the powerful storm.
Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference Wednesday that residents should “stay home and stay off the roads.”
Forecasters said they expect Francine to continue to weaken “rapidly” as it moves through the state.
Forecasters said 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, a possible tornado and strong winds were expected across much of central and eastern Louisiana.
According to poweroutages.us, more than 330,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana as of Wednesday night.
A new tornado watch has been issued until 6 a.m. (12 a.m. BST) on Thursday for southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Officials in Jefferson Parish, part of the New Orleans area, urged residents to stay home late Wednesday because of “severe road flooding.”
The Morgan City Police Department says the city is experiencing an “unusual amount of flooding” and asks residents to avoid driving on flooded roads.
Residents in eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama and western Florida have been warned of life-threatening storm surge.
Storm surge means that water is likely to rise from the coastline and move inland. In some places, the water can rise as high as 10 feet (3 m).
All flights to and from New Orleans Airport Wednesday is cancelled.
Several coastal parishes have been ordered to voluntarily or mandatory evacuations. Some schools and universities have closed.
U.S. oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico, including ExxonMobil and Shell, have evacuated workers and halted some operations.
