The wrath of Hurricane Francine was felt in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, even before the Category 2 hurricane made landfall more than an hour southwest of New Orleans.

Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish at 5 p.m., bringing 100 mph winds to the Louisiana swamps. Nearly all of Assumption and Terrebonne Parishes were without power as power outages in the Bayou State topped 200,000 about three hours after landfall, eventually reaching 400,000 by Thursday morning.

Communities in Terrebonne Parish, including Dulac, Houma, Theriot and Chauvin, experienced devastating storm surge and wind damage.

Dulac recorded a 90 mph wind gust after making landfall. The video below shows the dangerous storm surge Francine caused.

The owners of the CoCo Marina in Chauvin asked for prayers after Francine caused a devastating storm surge that covered the docks.

Storm surge from Hurricane Francine seen on security footage at CoCo Marina in Chauvin, Louisiana on September 11, 2024.

(CoCo Marina)

Stormchaser’s code: always carry a chainsaw

FOX Weather Storm Chaser Brandon Copic says he never covers a storm without the right gear, including a chainsaw. That came in handy after Francine’s high winds blew down a large tree in Houma, blocking a road. He and the other storm chasers quickly cut the tree down to clear the way.

“Usually it’s about clearing one lane so emergency services can get in and out quickly,” Copic said.

Copic’s truck was damaged by a sudden shift in the wind as the eyewall approached the coast, causing it to spin.

“There was a tree behind me. That tree literally blew apart and hit my Tahoe, broke my tail light and broke my back window,” Copic said.

The experienced storm chaser captured the video below, which shows how Francine’s powerful winds tore apart a building in minutes.

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray also reported from Houma before the landfall, as winds continued to blow away trees, street signs and roof debris. Ray dodged a direct hit from a street sign in the video below while reporting live from the storm.

FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel was in Theriot, where you can see the powerful wind gusts coming from Francine in the video below.

Large branches and debris were strewn across U.S. Highway 90 east of Morgan City Wednesday evening as Seidel and his team made their way back through Francine’s eyewall.

Fallen trees and branches on U.S. Highway 90 near Morgan City, Louisiana on September 11, 2024.

(Mike Seidel/FOX Weather)

Francine’s impact in New Orleans was heavy rainfall. As the storm moved inland, tropical downpours developed, resulting in a Flash Flood Emergency.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillien was on Bourbon Street and said the hurricane party continued even as the winds picked up. Conditions began to deteriorate rapidly Wednesday night when rainfall exceeded 6 inches per hour, adding up to half an inch in just 9 minutes.

New Orleans International Airport officially had its second-wettest September day on record Wednesday, with 7.33 inches. It was also the city’s ninth-wettest day since 1946.