The hurricane center’s forecast track suggests Francine will stay on a slow north-northwest path through the morning, then turn more to the northeast and pick up speed. It will move just offshore of the Mexico and south Texas coasts today and make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.

NEW ORLEANS >> Hurricane Francine strengthened to a Category 2 storm today just before it made landfall in Louisiana, threatening New Orleans and the wider Gulf Coast with powerful winds, rain and a storm surge that led to evacuation orders for thousands of people.