Louisiana is bracing for impact as Hurricane Francine
churns off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, battering the region with strong winds and heavy rain.
After 12:00, all flights at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
were canceled. However, the airport says it “will remain open” as conditions allow.
Flight impacts already spilling into Thursday
Along with winds and rain, Hurricane Francine is forecast to bring damaging storm surge and the threat of tornadoes. It is approaching the Louisana coast and is expected to strengthen before landfall.
Photo: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
MSY alerted travelers on Wednesday that is continuing to monitor the storm.
“The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) continues to monitor weather conditions and prepare for potential impacts from Hurricane Francine. The Airport will remain open unless conditions become unsafe. Airlines have canceled all flights after noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and there have been some additional cancellations reported for the morning of Thursday, Sept. 12. Individual airlines determine if and when to cancel flights or resume operations based on weather conditions in the area.”
More than 150 cancelations
Before the cancelations
, 13 flights were delayed at MSY, according to FlightAware. 11 of the delays were operated by 
Delta Air Lines
, while 
American Airlines
and 
United Airlines
each delayed one flight. A total of 156 flights were canceled on Wednesday, with Southwest Airlines suffering the most at 57. United had 29 canceled flights, American, including its wholly-owned regional subsidiaries Envoy Air and PSA Airlines, had 27 cancelations, and Delta had 20.
Photo: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Spirit Airlines suffered from 10 cancelations, while SkyWest Airlines, which operates regional flights for United under the United Express brand, canceled three flights. Air Canada Rouge canceled its flights to and from Toronto, while British Airways’ inbound and outbound flights from London were canceled. JetBlue Airways and regional carrier Republic Airways also canceled two flights each. Breeze Airways and Alaska Airlines both canceled one flight.
The storm’s forecast
As of 13:00 local time, Hurricane Francine was about 95 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, according to NBC News. The storm had a sustained wind speed of 90 miles per hour and was moving northeast at around 16 miles per hour. It is expected to make landfall between Avery Island and Houma, Louisiana, between 15:00 and 19:00 on Wednesday, but some meteorologists predict that the storm could strengthen into a Category 2 before then.
Hurricane warnings have been issued across most of Louisiana’s coastline, while storm surge warnings stretch as far away as Houston to the Mississippi and Alabama border. Louisiana and Mississippi governors have declared a state of emergency, and local leaders have ordered or strongly recommended that low-lying coastal towns and cities evacuate.
The Louisana National Guard has more than 2,300 personnel on deck to support areas affected by the hurricane. More than 60 aircraft from multiple agencies are ready to provide aid if needed, according to NBC News.
American, Alaska, Spirit, and Breeze have issued travel alerts in regard to Francine on their websites, allowing affected travelers to make adjustments to their itineraries free of charge.