#18,291
As we discussed 2 days ago, before Francine even had a name, residents of Louisiana will be under the gun later today and tonight as a still-intensifying hurricane makes landfall (probably as a CAT 2 storm).
By this time, most people should have completed their preparations, or have evacuated. But some may have waited, as this system was still only a tropical storm last night night.
The Key Messages for residents in the path of this storm from the NHC this morning follows:
While the battering from the storm will last only a dozen or so hours, the hard work and difficulties during the recovery period could last months (see After The Storm Passes).
Even though this year's hurricane season hasn't lived up to the pre-season hype, it is far from over, and it only takes one strong storm, hitting a highly populated region, to become a historic disaster.
Those lucky enough not to be in the path of Francine may want to take this as an opportunity to become better prepared before the next disaster hits. For more preparedness information I would invite you to visit:
- FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
- READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/
- AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/
