Hold onto your hats – or better yet, your roof shingles – because Tropical Storm Francine is aiming for the U.S. coast. As of early Tuesday, the storm was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico with wind speeds already clocking in at a fierce 65 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
An illustration of how Tropical storm Francine is set to hit the coast | Source: YouTube/@NBCNews
And those winds aren’t just breezy – they’re downright destructive. With sustained winds like these, you’re looking at a very serious situation. Winds that hit 58 miles per hour – which Francine has already surpassed – can tear through tree limbs and send roof shingles flying through the air.
An illustration of how Tropical storm Francine is set to hit the coast from the Gulf of Mexico | Source: YouTube/@NBCNews
Anything stronger, and you’re staring down hurricane-force winds, starting at a brutal 74 miles per hour. So when and where will Francine make her grand (and uninvited) entrance? Here’s what we know:
- Port Isabel, Texas is bracing for impact as early as 9 a.m. today, with a more likely storm surge around 11 a.m.
- Galveston, Texas can expect Francine to come knocking by 7 p.m., but she might decide to wait until the early hours of Wednesday around 2 a.m.
