Francine weakens and moves inland after battering Louisiana

A building damaged by Hurricane Francine in Morgan City, Louisiana (Gerald Herbert/AP)

Francine has weakened after striking Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, sent storm surge rushing into coastal communities and raised flooding fears in New Orleans and beyond.

As heavy rain drenched the northern Gulf Coast, New Orleans awoke to widespread power outages and debris-covered streets.