Hurricane warnings and evacuation orders were issued across parts of Louisiana’s Gulf Coast Wednesday morning as communities prepare for the expected arrival of Hurricane Francine later in the day.

Francine strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday evening and continued to strengthen, the U.S. National Weather Service reported Wednesday morning.

Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon or evening as either a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane, weather officials said. The hurricane is expected to bring “damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge and torrential rain.”

The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds were 90 mph (145 km/h) on Wednesday morning, and the hurricane was expected to gain speed while continuing to move northeast at 12 mph. After making landfall, the center is expected to move northward from Louisiana toward Mississippi on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The strongest winds and storm surges are expected in south-central Louisiana, but heavy rains and tornadoes are also expected in areas farther east, including parts of southern Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, weather officials said.

“A total of 4 to 8 inches of rain is expected in Francine, with local amounts of up to 12 inches for the central/eastern Gulf Coast through Thursday evening,” the National Weather Service said, adding that the rainfall could lead to “significant flash and urban flooding.”

The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi have declared states of emergency, and on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana, ordering federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local government response efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) on Tuesday encouraged storm residents to “complete their preparations, listen to local authorities and take necessary safety precautions.”

According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, strong winds and heavy rain are expected in the area from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency added that up to 10 inches of rain could fall in some parts of the state.

On Tuesday evening, Jon Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, the private weather forecasting company, warned that New Orleans area residents “should not underestimate the impacts” of Francine.

“AccuWeather’s hurricane experts are increasingly concerned about the potential for damaging winds in the densely populated New Orleans metropolitan area,” Porter said. “Should Francine pass closer to the city, the storm’s eye wall, the most intense part of the storm, could move near or over parts of the city, increasing the potential for 80-100 mph winds.”

The National Weather Service in New Orleans advised residents Wednesday to “ensure all preparations are completed as quickly as possible!” and told them to “prepare to shelter in place and take shelter throughout the night!”

Schools were closed in parts of Louisiana on Wednesday in anticipation of the hurricane, and several parishes, including Lafitte and Barataria, issued mandatory evacuations on Tuesday. Shelters and sandbag collection sites were also set up in areas along the Gulf Coast.

On Wednesday morning, the New Orleans airport also began canceling flights in anticipation of Francine’s landing.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is expected to hold a news conference about the hurricane at 11:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday.