Tropical Storm Francine is intensifying in the warm waters of the western Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall as a hurricane later this week, bringing with it the potential for flooding rainfall, strong winds, and dangerous storm surge along the western Gulf Coast.
After forming late Monday morning a few hundred miles away from the Mexico-Texas border with winds of 50 mph, Francine is forecasted to become a hurricane as early as Tuesday night. A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of the Louisiana coast, with tropical storm watches in place for portions of Mexico's northeastern coast, southern and northeastern coastal Texas, and eastern Louisiana.
