GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

The major storm Francine dumped heavy rain along the Southeast today after flooding New Orleans and coastal communities throughout Louisiana.

AMNA NAWAZ: Francine peaked as a Category 2 hurricane and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people.

It weakened into what's known as a post-tropical cyclone today.

And there have been no reports of deaths or injuries, but there were dozens of rescues.

Stephanie Sy has our report.

STEPHANIE SY: Hurricane Francine crashed into land last night, drenching Louisiana and sending trees down to earth from the streets of Baton Rouge to a family home in Denham Springs.

The Category 2 storm blew winds up to 100 miles per hour.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): A lot of wind, a lot of water, a lot of lost power.

STEPHANIE SY: Senator John Kennedy appeared alongside Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as he briefed reporters this afternoon.

GOV.

JEFF LANDRY (R-LA): As we begin this recovery, let us care for those family members and our neighbors.

Check on them.

Make sure that they are secure, because that is who we are here in Louisiana.

STEPHANIE SY: Closer to the Gulf, in Houma, Louisiana, flooding blurred the lines between land and sea.

In New Orleans, authorities said 52 floodgates were closed to protect against a storm surge.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's leader, Deanne Criswell, was on the ground to inspect the damage.

She said the state's flood protection infrastructure paid off.

DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA Administrator: The amount of money invested in resilience has really made a difference, from the power outages to the number of homes saved.

STEPHANIE SY: In Morgan City, Francine ripped roots from the ground.

Governor Landry said, at the storm's peak, 450,000 people were without power.

MALIK PHILLIPS, Morgan City, Louisiana, Resident: At first, it wasn't bad at all.

But once the winds pick up and the rain started, it got a little rough, especially with two little kids inside.

They want to cry, they want to scream, and I was like, oh, man.

STEPHANIE SY: Today, residents surveyed the damage and started cleaning up the mess.

MALIK PHILLIPS: I'm going to ride around and see who need help.

That's what you kind of doing things like this, help the elder, help the young folks, help anybody out.

STEPHANIE SY: Francine weakened into a tropical depression as it moved through Mississippi today.

It will continue to lose steam as it approaches which is Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Stephanie Sy.