Fraudulent contractors have targeted Louisiana residents numerous times over the last several years. The United States Attorney's Office said that over 1,200 complaints for fraudulent cases were reported in Baton Rouge in 2016 after historic floods devastated south Louisiana.

With hours to go until Hurricane Francine makes landfall in Louisiana, "the time to evacuate has now passed," Jacques Thibodeau, the director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said at a news conference.

The National Hurricane Center said Francine gained hurricane status about 350 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana.