Francine did not pose a particularly severe test of the New Orleans region's ability to handle stormwater, but the results were not reassuring.

For a city that routinely sees flooding, New Orleans residents and business owners were taken aback by the intense rains of Hurricane Francine, which still was at Category 1 strength when it passed over the city Wednesday night.

By Ned Randolph NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) -Hurricane Francine came ashore in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, threatening New Orleans and the wider Gulf Coast with powerful winds, rain and a storm surge that led to evacuation orders for thousands of people.