Graphic: NOAA
The National Hurricane Center on Wednesday warned that an “unsurvivable” storm surge from Hurricane Laura is approaching Texas and Louisiana, projected to reach as high as 20 feet and penetrating up to 30 miles inland.
Why it matters: It is urging residents in need of evacuation to do so immediately. The surge is predicted to begin by Wednesday.
- Maximum rainfall from the storm in some areas could reach 15 inches. The potential for “catastrophic” winds exists along the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
What they’re saying: “The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.”
- “Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause
catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal
City, Louisiana.”
Update on the storm…
Hurricane Laura slammed southern Louisiana early Thursday as a Category 4 storm, one of the most powerful to strike the Gulf Coast in decades. The storm made landfall at 1 a.m. near Cameron, La., about 35 miles east of the Texas border.
Downtown Lake Charles, La., took a heavy hit, with widespread destruction from Laura’s devastating winds. Roofs were peeled off, buildings were destroyed, and lampposts were tossed into the streets. An industrial plant that makes chlorine-based products nearby was on fire, sending caustic smoke throughout the area and leading to a shelter-in-place order.
The storm, which leaped from a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday to a high-end Category 4 on Wednesday night, packed 150 mph peak winds when it crossed the coast. The storm weakened and was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Thursday morning as it headed northward, but it still had sustained winds of more than 100 mph…..
More…