ROCHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz gave pep talks to campaign volunteers and a high school football team Sunday, with their bus tour in a corner of Pennsylvania serving as a modest, small-town version of the grand rally she's expected to have at the Democratic nominating convention in Chicago this week.
Vice President Harris and Walz, the governor of Minnesota, were joined by their spouses, Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, as they stopped off to visit volunteers at a campaign office not far from Pittsburgh before continuing on to a firehouse and a high school in another town. The tour, in a bright blue bus decorated with the candidates' names and the phrase “A new way forward,” also included pilgrimages to a convenience store and a restaurant known for its towering sandwiches.
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ROCHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz gave pep talks to campaign volunteers and a high school football team Sunday, with their bus tour in a corner of Pennsylvania serving as a modest, small-town version of the grand rally she's expected to have at the Democratic nominating convention in Chicago this week.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris holds a bag of Doritos chips as Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz looks on at Sheetz convenience store during a campaign stop, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Coralpolis, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reporters outside Primanti Bros. Restaurant during a campaign stop, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as second gentleman Doug Emhoff, from left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz listen at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, speaks with Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on a bus during a campaign tour, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, speaks as Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, and his wife Gwen Walz listen at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff listen during a campaign stop to greet members of the Aliquippa High School football team at their school, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets a dog and members of the Aliquippa City Fire Department during a campaign stop at a fire house, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets members of the Aliquippa High School football team during a campaign stop at their school, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Supporters look on as Air Force Two with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on board lands at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
A bus with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harrison on board departs Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
A bus with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harrison on board departs Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris claps alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff as they greet supporters at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Supports look on as Air Force Two with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on board lands at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, and his wife Gwen Walz arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets supporters as she arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, and his wife Gwen Walz arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at The Astro in La Vista, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris walks to board Air Force Two at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in Morrisville, N.C., after a campaign event. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Despite running as the sitting vice president, Harris told reporters she feels she has ground to make up in the race against former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
“I very much consider us the underdogs," Harris said at a stop in the township of Moon. "We have a lot of work to do to earn the vote of the American people. That’s why we’re on this bus tour today, and we’re going to be traveling this country as we’ve been and talking with folks, listening to folks, and hopefully earning their votes over the next 79 days.”
Southwestern Pennsylvania is a critical part of a key battleground state that has long commanded the attention of presidential candidates. The state voted for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. Both Harris and Trump are vying to see who can put Pennsylvania in their column on Nov. 5.
Trump, who is counting on strong turnout from his base of white, working-class voters, is not conceding the area. The counties around Pittsburgh have shifted from Democratic to Republican in recent presidential contests, delivering for Trump in both of his earlier runs.
In a demonstration of the area's competing politics, Harris' bus and motorcade twice on Sunday rolled past groups of Trump supporters with signs and banners bearing his name.
At her last stop, the vice president answered a few questions from reporters, something she’s been doing with increasing frequency as Trump has claimed she’s afraid to talk to the media and made a point of holding his own news conferences in recent weeks.
Throughout their tour Sunday, Harris and Walz shied away from policy or much politics in their remarks, instead sticking to broad-strokes messages focused on character, perseverance and the future of the country.
Harris, while speaking to a group of supporters and volunteers outside a campaign office in the borough of Rochester, spoke about strength and leadership. She appeared to make a veiled reference to Trump, who is known for his pugilistic style and projection of a strongman image, when she said the “real and true measure of a strength of a leader is based on who you lift up,” rather than who they beat down.
“Anybody who is about beating down other people is a coward,” she yelled, drawing cheers and applause. “This is what strength looks like.”
Walz seemed to assume the role of his former job coaching high school football and told the volunteers: “Let’s leave it all on the field. Let’s get this thing done.”
The vice president next stopped at a firehouse in Aliquippa, where she met firefighters, petted the station's dog and gave the crew almond pastries, before heading to a nearby high school, she and Walz met with the local football coach and addressed the team, who kneeled on the field to listen.
Walz again slipped into coach mode, reminiscing a bit about his days leading a team before introducing Harris. She praised the young athletes for their leadership: “Our nation is counting on you and your excellence. We applaud your ambition."
She also told them, “Welcome to the role model club.”
Most polls, including recent surveys from the New York Times/Siena College and Fox News, find Harris and Trump locked in a tight race statewide.
Trump held a rally Saturday in Wilkes-Barre in the northeastern part of the state, following his earlier rallies in July in Harrisburg and Butler, where he survived an assassination attempt.
The bus tour marks Harris’ eighth trip to Pennsylvania this year, and her second this month. The vice president chose to make her first joint appearance with Walz on the ticket in Philadelphia on Aug. 6.
On Sunday, Harris and Walz arrived with their spouses at Pittsburgh International Airport, where they held hands and raised their arms together in front of cheering supporters. The foursome then set off on their bus to glad-hand with voters in the Pittsburgh area.
At a stop in the township of Moon, Harris popped into a Sheetz convenience store to seek out Doritos, her go-to snack. She later stopped at a Primanti Bros. restaurant, a famed chain known for sandwiches layered with coleslaw and fries, where she met diners and posed for a few pictures. Both franchises were launched in western Pennsylvania.
Earlier in the day in Rochester, Harris, Walz and their spouses spent a few minutes sitting at tables with volunteers and making phone calls to line up support.
Harris took a cellphone from a volunteer and spoke to the person on the other end.
“I love Erie. At some point we’ll get to Erie,” Harris said.
She continued the conversation and at one point said, “79 days to go."
Walz, sitting across the table from Harris, hung up from a call, said of the caller, “He’s all in,” and gave a thumbs up.
Kristin Kanthak, associate professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh, said Pennsylvania “is a state that traditionally has been super important, but southwestern Pennsylvania has been really kind of the battleground part of the battleground state.”
After Trump’s surprise win in the state in 2016, Biden flipped Pennsylvania in 2020 — and, in so doing, won the White House — in part by running up his vote totals in heavily Democratic Pittsburgh, the state’s second-largest city.
Trump has embraced protectionist trade policies and insists he is pro-worker. His vow to increase U.S. energy production and “drill, baby, drill” has resonated in southwestern Pennsylvania blue-collar counties like Washington, where a natural gas drilling boom has helped make Pennsylvania the nation’s No. 2 producer after Texas. Harris once wanted to ban fracking, an oil and gas extraction process, before recently disavowing her earlier position — a reversal Trump has hammered her for.
Bus tours like the one Harris embarked on in Pennsylvania have become a staple of political campaigns partly because of the free media coverage they generate. Such trips get the candidates out of their power suits and out of Washington so they can travel the country and score face time with voters in small venues like diners and mom-and-pop shops.
The low-key venues of Harris’ campaign on Sunday will be replaced with their polar opposite Monday when the Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago, offering a prime-time showcase that director Steven Spielberg is helping to choreograph.
Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania and Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, greets customers at Primanti Bros. restaurant during a campaign stop, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris holds a bag of Doritos chips as Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz looks on at Sheetz convenience store during a campaign stop, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Coralpolis, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reporters outside Primanti Bros. Restaurant during a campaign stop, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as second gentleman Doug Emhoff, from left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz listen at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, speaks with Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on a bus during a campaign tour, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, speaks as Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, and his wife Gwen Walz listen at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff listen during a campaign stop to greet members of the Aliquippa High School football team at their school, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets a dog and members of the Aliquippa City Fire Department during a campaign stop at a fire house, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets members of the Aliquippa High School football team during a campaign stop at their school, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Aliquippa, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Supporters look on as Air Force Two with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on board lands at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
A bus with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harrison on board departs Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
A bus with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harrison on board departs Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff greet supporters upon arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris claps alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff as they greet supporters at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Supports look on as Air Force Two with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on board lands at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, and his wife Gwen Walz arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff disembark from Air Force Two at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets supporters as she arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, right, and his wife Gwen Walz arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at The Astro in La Vista, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris walks to board Air Force Two at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in Morrisville, N.C., after a campaign event. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) — Hurricane Francine struck the Louisiana coast Wednesday evening as a dangerous Category 2 storm that rapidly knocked out electricity to more than 100,000 customers and threatened widespread flooding as it sent potentially deadly storm surge rushing inland along the northern U.S. Gulf Coast.
Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Morgan City, the National Hurricane Center announced at 4 p.m. CDT. Packing maximum sustained winds near 100 mph (155 kph), the hurricane crashed into a fragile coastal region that hasn’t fully recovered from a series of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.
Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham said the hurricane's arrival quickly flooded streets, snapped power lines and sent tree limbs crashing down.
“It’s a little bit worse than what I expected to be honest with you,” Cockerham said. “I pulled all my trucks back to the station; it’s too dangerous to be out there in this.”
TV news broadcasts from Louisiana’s coastal communities showed waves from nearby lakes, rivers and Gulf waters thrashing sea walls. Water poured into city streets and neighborhoods amid blinding downpours. Oak and cypress trees leaned in the wind, and some utility poles swayed back and forth.
Power outages in Louisiana exceeded 109,000, spreading across a wide area of southeast Louisiana. Hardest hit by the blackouts was Terrebonne Parish near where the storm's center hit land, as well as neighboring St. Mary Parish that includes Morgan City.
The National Hurricane Center urged south Louisiana resident to take shelter for the night as the hurricane moved to the northeast at 17 mph (28 kph). That included New Orleans, where forecasters said the storm's eye could pass through.
“Conditions are going to go downhill really rapidly over the next couple of hours,” Jamie Rhome, the hurricane center’s deputy director, said in an online briefing just before landfall. “It’s not going to be a good night to be driving on the roads, especially when the sun goes down.”
Francine drew fuel from exceedingly warm Gulf of Mexico waters, strengthening from a Category 1 to a Category 2 storm hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center said. Category 2 hurricanes are classified as having winds of between 96 to 110 mph (155 to 175 kph) that are capable of extensive damage.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also urged residents to “stay off the roads, stay home and stay put.” He said the National Guard would fan out to parishes impacted by Francine. They have food, water, nearly 400 high-water vehicles, about 100 boats and 50 helicopters to respond to the storm, including for possible search-and-rescue operations.
Since the mid-19th century, some 57 hurricanes have tracked over or made landfall in Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel. Among them are some of the strongest, costliest and deadliest storms in U.S. history.
Morgan City, home to around 11,500 people, sits on the banks of the Atchafalaya River in south Louisiana and is surrounded by lakes and marsh. It’s described on the city’s website as “gateway to the Gulf of Mexico for the shrimping and oilfield industries.”
Gas stations had put plywood on the windows and moved trash cans inside. A few pumps had served a trickle of cars passing through earlier Wednesday, hours before Francine made landfall.
Retired boat captain Pat Simon, 75, and his wife loaded their possessions in garbage bags and tied them down in the back of a rented U-Haul pickup truck as they evacuated their home near the banks of the Atchafalaya River near Morgan City.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that bad, like some of the other ones like Ida and Katrina,” Simon said. “I mean, we’ve had some bad ones.”
President Joe Biden granted an emergency declaration to help Louisiana secure expedited federal money and assistance. Landry and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves also declared states of emergency, authorizing them to quickly free up resources for disaster assistance.
A hurricane warning was in effect along the Louisiana coast from Cameron east to Grand Isle, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of New Orleans, according to the Miami-based hurricane center. A storm surge warning stretched from the Mississippi-Alabama border to the Alabama-Florida border.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said it distributed more than 100,000 sandbags to the southern part of the state and the Department of Education reported a number of school district closures for Wednesday and Thursday.
Bands of heavy rain began pelting New Orleans on Wednesday morning. The city’s historic streetcars that roll on South Carrollton Avenue had to ease past cars parked next to the tracks on a grassy median where their owners hoped to avoid street flooding.
Francine became the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Much of Louisiana and Mississippi could get 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, with the possibility of 12 inches (30 centimeters) in some spots, said Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center.
Francine’s storm surge on the Louisiana coast was forecast to reach as much as 10 feet (3 meters) from Cameron to Port Fourchon and into Vermilion Bay, forecasters said, adding tornado watches also have been posted over a large area of south Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi as the storm heads inland.
The hurricane center said parts of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were at risk of considerable flash and urban flooding in coming. The lower Mississippi Valley and lower Tennessee Valley could experience flooding later in the week as the disbanding storm’s considerable remnants sweep northward across several states in coming days.
Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Kevin ll in New Orleans, Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this story.
Orleans Levee District Police patrol Lakeshore Drive along Lake Ponchartrain as wind and rain pick up from Hurricane Francine in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Orleans Levee District Police patrol Lakeshore Drive along Lake Ponchartrain as wind and rain pick up from Hurricane Francine in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Cameron Henry looks at the water build up from Hurricane Francine in front of the levee protection, background, along Lakeshore Drive along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Conrad Bach gets doused with lake water while looking at waves from the wind and rain from Hurricane Francine along Lakeshore Drive along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Signage bends in the wind as Hurricane Francine passes through Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Morgan City firefighters respond to a home fire during Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Having never before experienced the powerful forces of a hurricane, meteorologist Max Claypool of Memphis, Tenn. tries to see if the powerful winds blowing from the Hurricane Francine eye wall could lift him further in the air on Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024, Houma, La. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Lazaro Cardoso, 11, leans far into the powerful winds coming from the eye wall of Hurricane Francine as he and his dad, Hugo Gonzales, stay at a hotel Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Houma, La., that was being powered by a generator. The family lives not far from the hotel but they decided to stay at it since they said they always lose power during powerful storms. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Lazaro Cardoso, 11, leans far into the powerful winds coming from the eye wall of Hurricane Francine as he and his dad, Hugo Gonzales, stay at a hotel in Houma, Louisiana that was being powered by a generator on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Houma, La. The family lives not far from the hotel but they decided to stay at it since they said they always lose power during powerful storms. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Melanie Galindo's hair flies in the swirl of fast-moving air as the eye wall of Hurricane Francine crosses into the Houma area in Louisiana on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. (Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune via AP)
Melanie Galindo's hair flies in the swirl of fast-moving air as the eye wall of Hurricane Francine crosses into the Houma area in Louisiana on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. (Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune via AP)
Having never before experienced the powerful forces of a hurricane, meteorologist Max Claypool of Memphis, Tenn. tries to see if the powerful winds blowing from the Hurricane Francine eye wall could lift him further in the air on Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024, Houma, La. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Hotels guests at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites step out to look at some of the damage, top center, to the hotel as the eye of Hurricane Francine moves over the area causing a short respite in the rain, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in in Houma, La. (Chris Grange/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Hotels guests at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites stand in a protected entryway as they take video of the powerful forces coming from the Hurricane Francine eye wall as it moves across the south on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Houma, La. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Rainwater accumulates around Nolan and Macie Melancon as they fill up sandbags for their home located a few miles away in Houma, La., as the region gets ready for the arrival of Hurricane Francine on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Chris Granger /The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Lindsey Ranney and her dog Fig fill the trunk of Ranney's car with sandbags in preparation for Hurricane Francine from a pile of sand provided by Harrison County at the end of Courthouse Boulevard in Gulfport, Miss. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Hannah Ruhoff/The Sun Herald via AP)
Cameron Henry, left, Owen Henry, and Stone Ridgeway, watch as Orleans Levee District Police patrol as rain and wind builds up from Hurricane Francine on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Conrad Bach drains water from his boot after getting doused while looking at waves from the wind from Hurricane Francine along Lakeshore Drive and Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Meteorologist Jay Grymes speaks Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La., as the state of Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Francine's arrival. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)
North Street Plaza prepares for Hurricane Francine Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 in Pass Christian, Miss. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
Flood waters begin to build on Clark Avenue in Pass Christian, Miss. before Hurricane Francine Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
A resident of Dulac walks his dog around rising water as the outer edges of Hurricane Francine arrive along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Bridges are closed just miles from the Gulf of Mexico as the effects of Hurricane Francine are felt along the Louisiana coast in Terrebonne Parish on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Rising water has no where to go around a drainage opening, center, in Dulac as the effects of Hurricane Francine are felt along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Seth Tartaglia and his dog Magnolia Jane check out the waves and winds in Frenier Landing, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Tammy Corey, a clerk at a mostly boarded up Birdies Food and Fuel, keeps the main door windows free of condensation, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Luling, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Jason Bledsoe hauls rope to a houseboat in preparation of moving it to a safer dock, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Bayou Gauche, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
A customer buys water at a mostly boarded up Birdies Food and Fuel, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Luling, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Sparse traffic moves along Interstate 10, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, near Frenier Landing, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Joe Dempster, aboard the "Never Satisfied, left, and Jason Lireette, right, prepare to move a boat to a safer dock, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Bayou Gauche, La., ahead of Hurricane Francine. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 4:01 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Francine as it approaches landfall over Louisiana, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
Dulac residents, top left, sit on their front porch as they watch water rise around their elevated home as the effects of Hurricane Francine are felt along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Melanie Favila talks about the impending Hurricane Francine after she returned to her trailer to retrieve important documents at a trailer park, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. She will be staying with family in a house in central Morgan City. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Pat Simon, a resident of Morgan City, stops at a gas station after loading up a rental truck with possessions from his home, as he evacuates to a hotel in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A streetcar eases past cars parked on the median in anticipation of street flooding from Tropical Storm Francine on South Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kevin McGill)
Maintenance workers for Keith's Superstores put up plywood on the Pass Christian, Miss. location in preparation for Hurricane Francine on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Hannah Ruhoff/The Sun Herald via AP)
FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson speaks Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La., as the state of Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Francine's arrival. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La., as the state of Louisiana prepares for Hurricane Francine's arrival. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)
Harrison County officials workon Bayou Portage bridge in Pass Christian, Miss. in preparation of Hurricane Francine Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
A handwritten sign is placed on the front door of Ceana's Cajun Cookin' restaurant informing customers they will reopen if they have electricity as Hurricane Francine begins to make landfall in south Louisiana on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Chris Granger /The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Hurricane Francine floodwater rises around a statue of Mary tied to the support of an elevated home in Terrebonne Parish as the hurricane begins to make landfall along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Sandbags and plastic line the door thresholds of a Bourbon Street nightclub in New Orleans' French Quarter, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, as the city was bracing for high winds and possible flooding as Hurricane Francine approached Louisiana's coast. (AP Photo/Kevin McGill)
Sandbags and plastic line the threshold of an entrance to the the Williams Research Center in New Orleans' French Quarter, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, as the city was bracing for high winds and possible flooding from as Hurricane Francine approached Louisiana's coast. (AP Photo/Kevin McGill)
Boarded windows and sandbags cover the windows of a Bourbon Street bar in New Orleans' French Quarter, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, as the city was bracing for high winds and possible flooding as Hurricane Francine approached Louisiana's coast. (AP Photo/Kevin McGill)
Kevin "Choupie" Badle, 67, rides his bike with an umbrella to buy more cigarettes at the store ahead of Hurricane Francine, expected to make landfall this evening, in Stephenville, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Luis Morfin ratchets his trailer to jack supports as he prepares for Hurricane Francine at a trailer park in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A customer enters a gas station that is boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A customer enters one of the few gas stations open, boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Oscar Torres, of Morgan City, enters a gas station that is boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Outside trash cans and product displays are moved inside a boarded up gas station in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Wanda Presa, of Amelia, La., fills her truck with gas ahead of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A customer enters a gas station that is boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Pat Simon, a resident of Morgan City, stops at a gas station after loading up a rental truck with possessions from his home, as he evacuates to a hotel in anticipation of Hurricane Francine, in Morgan City, La., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Roxanne Riley, 42, stocks up on supplies at a Walmart as she prepares to shelter in place in New Orleans as Tropical Storm Francine barrels toward the Louisiana coast, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Mississippi Gulf Coast beachline in Long Beach, Miss. preparing for Tropical Storm Francine Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
Boats leaving Pass Christian Harbor after mandatory evacuation issued Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Pass Christian, Miss., due to Tropical Storm Francine. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
Boats leaving Pass Christian Harbor after mandatory evacuation issued Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 in Pass Christian, Miss. due to Tropical Storm Francine. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
Boats leaving Pass Christian Harbor after mandatory evacuation issued Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 in Pass Christian, Miss., due to Tropical Storm Francine. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
A message aimed at The Weather Channel's meteorologist Jim Cantore is displayed on the message board at the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway near New Orleans as the region prepares for Tropical Storm Francine Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Delwyn Bodden, a worker for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West climbs a ladder up a floodgate to lock it closed along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West locks a floodgates closed along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Weather begins to form from Tropical Storm Francine on the Harrison County Beaches in Pass Christian, Miss. Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via AP)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Bubby Longo fills sandbags in the old Kmart/Sears parking lot ahead of Tropical Storm Francine, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Chalmette, La. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Shoppers in a suburb of New Orleans gather food supplies at a grocery store, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
A worker from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West tightens turnbuckles as they close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The windows of a raised historic house are boarded up as residents prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Francine along the Louisiana coast on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Lafitte, La. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Crabbers move their traps to inside the levy protection system ahead of Tropical Storm Francine, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in lower St. Bernard Parish, La. (David Grunfeld/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Cars drive through rain bands along Peter Rd., just outside New Orleans, ahead of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Ronell King, 32, unhoused, plans to hunker down in his tent under an overpass Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in New Orleans, rather than go to an emergency shelter set up by the city in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Norman Bouisse, 76, left, and Jeremy Adam, back left, one of the captains for the 100-foot trawler Master Brandon, work at tying extra lines around a piling in their attempt to batten down their boat in anticipation of Hurricane Francine along the Louisiana coast in Lafitte on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image taken at 7:10pm ET shows Hurricane Francine in the Gulf of Mexico as it advances towards Louisiana on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
Residents fill up sand bags to protect their homes in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, at a distribution site in a parking lot in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West tighten turnbuckles as they close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Workers from the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West close floodgates along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Delwyn Bodden, a worker for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West climbs a ladder up a floodgate to lock it closed along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Delwyn Bodden, a worker for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West climbs a ladder up a floodgate to lock it closed along the Harvey Canal, just outside the New Orleans city limits, in anticipation of Tropical Storm Francine, in Harvey, La., Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
