Hurricane Francine made landfall in south Louisiana Wednesday evening as a Category 2 storm, lashing the region with damaging winds, storm surge, and flooding rain. Outages climbed rapidly through the evening, with hundreds of thousands of customers losing power across Louisiana and Mississippi, including large portions of the New Orleans metro area.

Gulf Coast Realities

Francine went from a disorganized system to a landfalling hurricane in a matter of days, leaving little time for last-minute preparations. Along the Gulf Coast, that compressed timeline is common. The homeowners who fared best were the ones whose preparations were finished before the storm ever formed.

Preparing for Possible Impacts

• Inspect your standby generator and ensure it is ready to activate automatically if power is lost.
• Run a test cycle to confirm your system starts and transfers power properly.
• Plan for fuel supply and make sure natural gas or propane systems are fully connected and serviced.
• Consider an upgrade. Whole-home backup solutions from Generac and Kohler deliver seamless power protection during prolonged outages.

Stay Informed

September is the most active month of the Atlantic season, and forecasters are already watching additional disturbances behind Francine. Stay close to the forecast and keep your backup power ready.