Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, bringing powerful winds, storm surge and possible flooding to the northern U.S. Gulf Coast.

Francine, which had been fueled by the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, was packing sustained winds of up to 100 mph (161 kph) when it made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm battered a coastline that has yet to fully recover from a series of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.

Parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were at risk of flooding. The Lower Mississippi Valley and Lower Tennessee Valley could experience flooding later in the week as the storm moves inland.

In Morgan City, Louisiana, gas stations had already put plywood over their windows and moved trash cans inside before the storm hit. A few pumps were still running shortly after sunrise, serving the stream of cars that passed by.

Larry Doiron, owner of a Chevron station just outside the city limits, said he had enough gas to keep the pumps running during the storm.

“We’re the only place here for the sheriff, the fire department. We have gas. All the residents are depending on us,” he said. “We’re going to try to keep it under control and hopefully take care of everybody.”

The community of about 11,500 people, 71 miles (115 kilometers) southwest of New Orleans, is surrounded by lakes and marshes. As of Wednesday night, the storm was about 65 miles (105 kilometers) to the southwest, moving 17 mph (27 kph) in its general direction, the NHC said.

WATCH | Preparing for Hurricane Francine:

Louisiana residents prepare for impact of Hurricane Francine

People in Morgan City, La., closed stores and boarded up windows during evacuations as they prepared for Hurricane Francine, which was expected to make landfall Wednesday. Saint Mary Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell said officials have readied flood vehicles and extra patrols in preparation for the storm.

Retired 75-year-old Captain Pat Simon and his wife Ruth packed all their belongings into garbage bags and strapped them into the bed of a rented U-Haul pickup truck as they evacuated their home on the banks of the nearby Atchafalaya River.

“I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as some of the others like Ida and Katrina,” Pat Simon said. “I mean, we’ve had some bad ones.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged residents to “stay off the roads, stay home and shelter in place.”

“I know we’ve been through a lot here in Louisiana, but I urge everyone to make the necessary preparations,” he said.

Hurricane season typically peaks around this time of year, and Louisiana residents have often faced threats from such storms. Since the mid-1800s, 57 hurricanes have passed through or made landfall in Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel. They included some of the strongest, costliest, and deadliest storms in U.S. history.

Landry said the Louisiana National Guard has been deployed to parishes that could be affected by Francine. They have food, water, nearly 400 high-water vehicles, about 100 boats and 50 helicopters to respond to the storm, including possible search and rescue operations.

Biden declares emergency

U.S. President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency that will help Louisiana secure federal funding and logistical assistance from partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both Landry and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves have also declared states of emergency, authorizing them to quickly mobilize resources for disaster relief.

According to the NHC, a hurricane warning was in effect along the Louisiana coast from Cameron east to Grand Isle, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of New Orleans. A storm surge warning extended from the Mississippi-Alabama border to the Alabama-Florida border. Such a warning means that life-threatening flooding is possible.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that more than 100,000 sandbags have been distributed in the southern part of the state, and the Department of Education said that some schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Heavy rains hit New Orleans early Wednesday morning. The city’s historic streetcars that run along South Carrollton Avenue were forced to pass cars parked next to the tracks on the grassy median. The median is several inches higher than the road, and drivers sometimes park there to avoid flooding.

Francine is the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Much of Louisiana and Mississippi could receive 4 to 8 inches of rain, with a possible 12 inches in some areas, said Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist with the NHC.

According to meteorologists, Francine’s storm surge could reach heights of up to ten feet (3 meters) along the Louisiana coast from Cameron to Port Fourchon and Vermilion Bay.