Tropical Storm Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday evening around 7 p.m. as a Category 2 hurricane.  

Francine, which currently has sustained winds of 65 mph, will move over warm Gulf waters, making intensification likely. The storm is projected to touch down on the Louisiana coast from the Texas border to Morgan City, Louisiana.  

The Tulane University Office of Emergency Preparedness is actively monitoring the storm with its partners at Perry Weather and the National Hurricane Center.  

In partnership with Bernhard, one of the country’s largest infrastructure firms, Tulane recently added 16 megawatts of backup power to its uptown and downtown campuses. All residence halls and several other uptown buildings have full backup power, and the Malkin Sacks Commons, the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, McAlister Auditorium and Dixon Hall have their own generator power.  

In an email on Sunday, Tulane urged staff, faculty and students to familiarize themselves with their hurricane preparedness plans. The university will shift to remote operations, including all classes, Tuesday at 5 p.m. through Wednesday. Loyola University of New Orleans suspended operations for Wednesday.  

For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit emergencyprep.tulane.edu/hurricane-preparedness.  

This is a developing story and will be updated.