Residents across coastal Louisiana prepare for Tropical Storm Francine

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) —

As Tropical Storm Francine barreled toward the Louisiana coast, Gov. Jeff Landry implored people on Tuesday to prepare in the short time left before the storm comes ashore as a hurricane.

Residents, especially in south Louisiana, have about a 24-hour window to “batten down all the hatches,” the governor said. Forecasters said Francine’s landfall was expected Wednesday afternoon or evening as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 96 to 110 mph (155 to 175 kph).