Francine Knocks Out Power to Hundreds of Thousands in South

Francine knocked out power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses and canceled hundreds of flights across the US South after coming ashore as a hurricane.

The storm has weakened to a tropical depression with winds of 35 miles (55 kilometers) per hour as it approached Jackson, Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory Thursday. Francine, which had winds of 100 mph when it made landfall Wednesday, is forecast lose strength throughout the day.

Related: 15 Feet of Storm Surge Possible When Francine Hits Gulf Coast, 125K Homes at Risk

“Continued weakening is forecast,” the hurricane center said. “Francine is expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later today.”

Power company Entergy Corp. has begun restoration work on its approximately 279,000 customers without power, executives said Thursday morning on a call with reporters. The company does not have a timeline for restoring power but Entergy Louisiana Chief Executive Officer Phillip May said it would not be like Hurricane Ida in 2021, when homes and businesses were without power for weeks.

Related: Storm Surge and Flooding Threaten as Francine Approaches U.S. Gulf Coast

Louisiana Residents Prepare As Hurricane Francine Heads Towards Coastline

Houma, Louisiana, in the evening on Sept. 11.

More than 416,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as of 10 a.m. local time, according to PowerOutage.us. About 80 flights have been canceled at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, adding to the 240 that were grounded in the region Wednesday, FlightAware.com said.

Francine came ashore in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, a sparsely populated area southwest of New Orleans.

Top photo: Houma, Louisiana, in the evening on Sept. 11.