Powerful Storms Francine, Yagi Leave Wakes of Destruction

Hurricane Francine slammed into coastal Louisiana late Wednesday. The storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and flooded parts of New Orleans. It has also forced some daring rescues. Francine battered the southern US as recovery efforts from deadly Typhoon Yagi continued a half a world away in Vietnam.   

Francine had been downgraded Thursday to a tropical depression. But it struck eastern Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph and heavy rains. The storm left 436,000 homes and businesses without power across the state and into Mississippi. No deaths were reported. But footage showed roofs being ripped off buildings and floodwaters surging through streets. A TV news crew captured a daring rescue by Miles Crawford, an off-duty nurse. He braved swirling currents to reach a truck pinned beneath an overpass. Using a hammer, Crawford smashed out the truck’s window. Then he dragged the driver to safety.   

“I just had to go in there and do it,” Crawford told WDSU-TV. “I’m a nurse, so got to save lives, right?”  

Meanwhile, Vietnam continues to struggle in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi. The storm barreled over the Southeast Asian country earlier this week. The death toll surpassed 200 by mid-day Thursday. Many people are still missing in the most hard-hit villages. Vietnam’s agricultural ministry said more than 618,000 acres of farmland had been wiped out. That threatens the livelihoods of many.   

"It will be so hard for me to recover from this loss — I think I will lose up to $40,000 this season," a farmer told Agence France-Presse. "I really don't know what to do now. I'm just waiting for the water to recede.” 

Reflect: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges people face after a major disaster?