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

As Hurricane Francine lashed New Orleans and the city flooded, there was an oasis of comradery — and leather — through the storm. The Phoenix Bar, just north and east of the French Quarter in the Marigny neighborhood of the Crescent City,

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.