NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Francine slammed into Louisiana as a category two hurricane on Wednesday night leaving neighborhoods flooded and hundreds of thousands of people without power.

A group from Nashville CARES got to New Orleans for a conference just before the storm hit. CEO Amna Osman said the heavy rain and wind forced them to shelter inside their hotel.

“We were just all advised not to be out on the streets, stay safe, stay put,” Osman said. “Last night was a little scary. I got a lot of calls from all over the country concerned.”

Osman was not expecting a storm with winds near 70 m.p.h. to rip through the city. Around 30 of their employees were supposed to fly down for the conference, but had flights cancelled due to the hurricane.

The five people already in New Orleans worked on emergency safety plans in case they had to possibly evacuate, Osman said. They were relieved that the downtown area did not have any major damage.

As the remnants of Francine moved into Middle Tennessee with much calmer weather, Osman was hopeful people would stay safe and there would not be any damage.

“It came quick, and it was quite aggressive,” Osman said. “As it moves along, we just don’t know what will happen. Just make sure that you really plan and have a good safety plan for you and your loved ones.”

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