Hurricanes

A man whose pickup truck got trapped in rushing floodwaters unleashed by rains from Hurricane Francine was saved by a Good Samaritan who also happened to be an emergency room nurse.

A driver was saved from a submerged vehicle on Wednesday in New Orleans after Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane. The drama unfolded on live television.

Francine was downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall in Louisiana, but the damage was already done. NBC 5’s Evan Anderson tells us more.

Francine strengthened into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico as it barreled toward the Louisiana coast Tuesday night, the National Hurricane Center announced.

Hurricane Francine slammed into the Louisiana coast Wednesday evening as a dangerous Category 2 storm that knocked out electricity to more than 163,000 customers and threatened widespread flooding as it sent a potentially deadly storm surge rushing inland along the Gulf Coast.

Tropical Storm Francine, which developed in the Gulf of Mexico Monday, is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday night and make landfall Wednesday over Louisiana. By the end of the week, it is expected to weaken into a depression as it moves up the Mississippi Valley.

Forecasters warned that hurricane-force winds and a dangerous storm surge would begin to be felt in Louisiana on Wednesday ahead of a likely afternoon or evening landfall.

Francine is forecasted to become a Category 1 hurricane by Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know

All eyes are on the Gulf Coast and the strengthening Tropical Storm Francine. NBC 5’s Meredith Yeomans has the preparations and how north Texans stand by to pitch in.

Topical Storm Francine was named in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and a hurricane watch was issued in parts of Louisiana.

Hurricane Ernesto was gaining strength as it moved over open water toward Bermuda. It could become a major hurricane with Category 3 strength Friday.

Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday as it dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.

A rising number of heat-related deaths in Texas among residents who lost power during Hurricane Beryl has pushed the number of storm fatalities to at least 36.

More than a week after Hurricane Beryl made its way through the Texas coast, firefighters from North Texas continue to provide support to the affected communities.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has formed a committee to ensure utility companies “respond more effectively to future storms.”

The Houston area’s main utility company says it expects to have power restored to most residents by Wednesday. But Gov. Greg Abbott continued to criticize CenterPoint Energy on Monday for its storm preparation and response.

Last week, X user @BBQBryan posted: “The Whataburger app works as a power outage tracker, handy since the electric company doesn’t show a map.” The tweet received more than 7 million views and 24,000 likes by the next afternoon, according to USA Today.

President Joe Biden on Friday amended the federal disaster declaration for Texas authorizing additional financial help for individuals recovering from Hurricane Beryl.

Tropical storms and Category 1 hurricanes are often mistaken as nothing to worry about, when they can be more devastating than a major Category 4 or 5 storm.

Volunteers at Buckner International in Mesquite are sending aid to Houston-area hurricane victims. NBC 5’s Alanna Quillen has the details.