People in at-risk areas in Louisiana should have a plan in place and be aware of the dangers of the storm, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference last night.

“We want everyone in that state to be cautious and vigilant. We don’t want to trivialize this event, but we also don’t want people to panic,” he said.

Landry declared a statewide emergency last night, and there are 23 local emergencies declared across the state, with the number likely to increase.

Satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Francine developing over the Gulf of Mexico in the early morning hours.

Customers in a New Orleans suburb pick up food supplies at a grocery store yesterday as Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall in Louisiana.

Dangerous storm surges of up to 10 feet (3 meters) are a major concern ahead of Francine’s arrival in the U.S. The Louisiana coast, from Cameron to Port Fourchon and Vermilion Bay, could experience storm surges of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) high.

“The deepest water will be along the coast, near and east of the hurricane’s landfall, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Additionally, 4 to 8 inches of rain are expected from northeastern Mexico to Mississippi, with 12 inches predicted in some areas. There will also be “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC said.

People living in low-lying coastal areas of Louisiana have been strongly advised or ordered to move inland in preparation for Francine’s arrival on Wednesday.

Cameron Parish, a coastal town between Lafayette and Houston where the storm is expected to make landfall, is under a mandatory evacuation order starting at 6 a.m. today.

Grand Isle, a Louisiana town on a narrow strip of land in the Gulf of Mexico, issued a voluntary evacuation for residents and a mandatory evacuation for campers and RVs.

Meanwhile, Pass Christian, Mississippi, urgently advised evacuating the port of Pass Christian.