| BY CHAD CALDER | Staff writer |
Good morning and thanks for joining us. Here are some of today's top headlines. Hurricane Francine, a storm that may not have looked too fearsome on paper, drifted east Wednesday night and slowed down over metro New Orleans, drenching communities throughout the city, Jefferson Parish and beyond. In New Orleans, a dramatic rescue was captured on television after an off-duty nurse waded into floodwaters to pull a man from a pickup truck. The generators that supplement the turbines and provide power to the city's drainage system went offline repeatedly. Also, the operations of some city sewerage stations saw hiccups. In Jefferson Parish, streets flooded and power went out, and in Kenner some houses even took on water. Jefferson officials warned residents against unnecessary water use as it was hit with sewage backups in some areas. In the River Parishes, there was major flooding in St. John the Baptist and St. Charles. St. Tammany fared better, but streets flooded and many there lost power. Hundreds of thousands lost power statewide, and many will wake up Thursday wondering when they'll get it back. You'll find all of our coverage as recovery begins here. Our reporters will be out early filing dispatches from across the area. Stay safe. Chad | 