Francine has begun its turn towards Louisiana and remains a Tropical Storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles an hour.
The system is expected to rapidly intensify, and could make landfall Wednesday in Louisiana, where a state of emergency has been declared.
“This State of Emergency will allow parishes statewide to have the resources to help protect the life, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana. Throughout this process, we will remain in constant contact with local officials and first responders and will assist them in every step of the way,” said Governor Landry.
The forecast track has continued to shift east, which was expected with a stronger system. In fact, it shifted even further to the east overnight.
As for any impacts in Houston, Eric Berger with Space City Weather writes:
There is not much change in outlook. We could see some showers and thunderstorms moving into Houston before noon from the Gulf of Mexico. Frankly, these storms don’t look too organized or problematic. Areas nearer to the coast are more likely to see rain, with the potential for 1 to 3 inches, and possibly a few higher bullseyes. Further inland, showers will be hit or miss. Scattered rain shower chances will persist overnight and through much of Wednesday, but this does not look to be a washout for anyone.
In terms of winds, there probably won’t be much to worry about in the city of Houston. Down closer to the coast we could see some sustained winds of 30 or 35 mph, with higher gusts, but that probably is the worst case scenario. The strongest winds will likely push through on Tuesday night. Seas should be 1 to 3 feet above normal along Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, and a bit higher further to the east toward Cameron, Louisiana.
Meantime, a voluntary evacuation order has been issued for Bolivar Peninsula through Wednesday evening at 8PM.