Hurricane Francine has left hundreds of thousands without power and caused extensive flooding after slamming into the Louisiana coast and moving inland. The storm made landfall in Morgan City as a Category 2 hurricane at 5:00 PM local time (11:00 PM GMT) on Wednesday, with sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

A flash flooding emergency was declared for New Orleans after the city received between six and eight inches (15-20 cm) of rain. Although Francine has been downgraded to a tropical storm, it still packed winds of up to 70 mph as it moved northwest of New Orleans late Wednesday, the NHC reported.

Both Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency, urging residents to take shelter and prepare for the storm’s impact. Governor Jeff Landry advised residents to “stay off the roads, stay home, and stay put” during a press briefing on Wednesday. Forecasters predict Francine will continue to rapidly weaken as it moves further inland, but it is still expected to bring 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) of rain, potential tornadoes, and damaging winds across central and eastern Louisiana.

By Wednesday night, more than 330,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana were without power, according to Poweroutages.us. A new tornado watch was issued for parts of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, lasting until 6:00 AM local time on Thursday (12:00 BST).

Authorities in Jefferson Parish, part of Greater New Orleans, warned residents to stay indoors due to severe street flooding. Morgan City police reported “unusual amounts of flooding” and urged people to avoid driving on flooded roads. Residents in eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama, and western Florida were cautioned about a life-threatening storm surge, which could cause water levels to rise as much as 10 feet (3 meters) in some areas.

All flights at New Orleans airport were canceled on Wednesday, and several coastal parishes in Louisiana are under voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders. Schools and colleges in affected areas also closed in response to the storm. Meanwhile, major oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico, including Exxon Mobil and Shell, evacuated personnel and suspended some operations.