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Tropical Storm Francine, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, is getting stronger and "quickly becoming better organized," the National Hurricane Center said.
It's expected to be a hurricane when it hits the Louisiana coast on Wednesday. Local officials expect it to be a Category 1 or possibly Category 2 hurricane and to make landfall between mid-afternoon and late night.
Jacques Thibodeaux, director of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said residents should prepare for heavy rain and localized flooding of 7-9 inches over 12 hours after the storm makes landfall. The biggest danger will be storm surge if Francine slows its speed, he said.