Hurricane Laura is inching closer to the United States as an « extremely dangerous » Category 4 storm and is expected to bring « catastrophic » storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding to parts of the Gulf Coast overnight.
by: WFLA 8 On Your Side Staff and Heather Monahan TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Laura is inching closer to the United States as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm and is expected to bring “catastrophic” storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding to parts of the Gulf Coast overnight. Laura is expected to make landfall somewhere along the coast of upper Texas and southwest Louisiana late Wednesday or early Thursday. As of 8 p.m. ET, the storm was about 120 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana and 120 south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas. It’s moving north-northwest at about 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds have reached 150 mph – making Laura an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center says some additional strengthening is possible before Laura reaches the coast. Once Laura hits the coast and starts moving inland, the NHC says “rapid weakening” is expected. Here are the impacts the NHC is warning of ahead of Laura’s landfall: In its latest update at 2 p.m. ET, the NHC said “unsurvivable storm surge” and “large, destructive waves” will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to Intracoastal City in Louisiana. According to the NHC, storm surge could reach up to 30 miles inland in southwestern Louisiana and far southeastern Texas. “This is a life-threatening situation.
