Hurricane Laura has strengthened into a Category 4 as it heads for a destructive landfall near the Texas and Louisiana border Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. A catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds will batter the region and a threat of flooding rain and strong winds will extend well inland.
Residents along the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts should finish preparations now for a major hurricane strike. Follow any evacuation orders issued by local or state officials.
Laura is centered about 200 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It's tracking to the northwest at 16 mph.
The hurricane is now a Category 4 with 140 mph winds. Some slight additional strengthening is possible through this afternoon.
Laura's maximum sustained winds jumped from 75 mph to 140 mph in the 24 hours ending 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday. That increase in maximum sustained winds easily meets the definition of rapid intensification in a hurricane.
Doppler radar shows that bands of rain and gusty winds are now beginning to pivot into the northwest Gulf Coast.
A wind gust to 107 mph was reported at a buoy near the center of Laura early Wednesday morning.
Laura has prompted hurricane and storm surge warnings for the northwest Gulf Coast.
A storm surge warning is in effect from Freeport, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, including Galveston Bay and areas inside the Port Arthur, Texas, hurricane flood protection system.
This means a life-threatening storm surge is expected in the next 36 hours. Residents in these areas should heed all evacuation orders and instructions from local emergency management and take necessary precautions to protect life and property.
A hurricane warning is now in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. This includes Galveston, parts of the east Houston metro area, Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and several additional inland counties and parishes of east Texas and western Louisiana extending north of Interstate 10. Hurricane conditions (winds 74 mph or greater) will affect these areas Wednesday night and Thursday.
Tropical storm warnings extend into the rest of the Houston metro area, parts of northeast Texas, northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area by late Wednesday, with hurricane conditions expected Wednesday night and Thursday. Catastrophic wind damage is possible on the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts. This includes widespread power outages possibly lasting for days, if not over a week, downed trees and structural damage. Wind gusts are likely to top 100 mph in these areas.
The potential for tree damage and power outages will affect areas farther inland along the path of Laura across eastern Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and western Tennessee.
Laura will also spread rain and wind impacts far inland through parts of the lower Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley into Saturday.
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center and the National Hurricane Center, parts of western Louisiana, eastern Texas and much of Arkansas could pick up 5 to 10 inches, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches.
