Report: Francine was a fish killer

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has released its official report detailing the freshwater fisheries impacts of Hurricane Francine, which made landfall Sept. 11 in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 storm.
Though the hurricane weakened quickly after landfall, it triggered widespread hypoxia and numerous fish kills across approximately 2 million acres in southern Louisiana.
LDWF District 9's staff observed the first fish kills following Francine’s landfall on Sept. 13 in the Lower Atchafalaya Basin. The first public reports of fish kills began on Sept. 15.
Department biologists from south central and southeast Louisiana mobilized immediately following the storm to conduct coordinated field investigations and respond to public reports. Their efforts included:
•89 fish kill events documented, with 39 reported by the public and 50 observed by LDWF staff
•260 water quality readings collected between Sept. 13 and 25
•98 readings indicating hypoxia (dissolved oxygen less than 2 milligrams per liter), primarily in bayous and canals
Identification of oxygenated refuges in deeper and windblown waters, where live fish were often observed
Compared to Hurricane Ida in 2021, which affected many of the same areas, fish kills from Hurricane Francine were scattered and moderate in severity.