Live: Half a million evacuated amid fears of 'unsurvivable storm surge' when storm makes landfall as Category 4
Hurricane Laura is a dangerous Category 3 storm and is due to strengthen to Category 4 before slamming into the US south coast later 26 August 2020 (Picture: (RAMMB/NOAA/NESDIS/AFP via Getty))
Hurricane Laura, that is due to make landfall in Louisiana and Texas on Wednesday is predicted to be ungraded to a Category 4 hurricane later today before it hits the US.
The hurricane was upgraded to a Category 3 overnight on Wednesday, but satellite images show that it has grown into "a formidable hurricane", according to the National Hurricane Centre.
It is anticipated that it could destroy homes and communities, and Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist told CBS on Wednesday that "Some areas, when they wake up Thursday morning, they're not going to believe what happened."
Hurricane Laura is now a major Category 3 storm with winds of 115pmh and gusts close to 130mph, as it barrels towards the Gulf Coast ahead of landfall tonight.
It is forecast to rapidly power up into a "catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane later today, intensifying as it churns towards Texas and Louisiana where it's expected to make landfall just after midnight.
Hurricane Laura was upgraded from a Tropical Storm on Monday night, after it was recorded moving at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, while over the Gulf of Mexico.
States in the Gulf Coast were hit by Tropical Storm Marco on Monday, but it was downgraded to a tropical depression not long after it reached land on Monday.
Laura has already killed nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola, including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic, where it caused intense flooding and destruction.
In anticipation of the hurricane reaching the US coast on Wednesday, More than half a million people were ordered to flee from an area of the Gulf Coast along the Texas-Louisiana state line.
Speaking about the possible impact of the hurricane, Kathleen Tierney, former director of the Natural Hazards Centre at the University of Colorado said: "We need to be concerned about the federal capacity to respond to a major hurricane disaster, particularly in light of failings that are all too obvious in the public health area."
After 300 rigging platforms were evacuated earlier in the week, 84 per cent of Gulf oil production and an estimated 61 per cent of natural gas production has been shut down, threatening a centre of the US energy industry.
Forecasters are predicting that Laura will be upgraded from Category 3 to Category 4 before it reaches the US coast later today.
Top winds of 130mph are now expected by the time the storm reaches the US coast, and the Hurricane Centre has predicted that it will cause major damage across 450 miles of coast from Texas to Mississippi.
The centre has predicted that "power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards has warned residents in the state that they are "only have a few hours to prepare and evacuate" before Laura hits its coast.
He added: "Wherever you are by noon is where you'll have to ride out the storm. Be smart and be safe."
The Louisiana Department of Health also reminded residents to continue with coronavirus precautions during the storm.
"Wear a mask and keep distance from those outside of your family when possible," the agency tweeted. They urged residents that if they are staying with other people, to "talk to them in advance about how can best protect yourself from Covid-19."
The National Hurricane Centre has warned that hurricane Laura "continues to rapidly strengthen and it is expected to become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane."
Laura was upgraded from a Category 1 to a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday morning, but is continuing to grow on its way to the US coast.
The centre added that there is "only a few hours remain to protect life and property" in both Texas and Louisiana.
At its 11am ET update, the National Hurricane Centre warned that Hurricane Laura could become "unsurvivable" for some areas of both Texas and Louisiana.
The centre said that there will be an "unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes."
It added that "only a few hours remain to protect life and property and all actions should be rushed to completion."
Phillip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at specialising in hurricane forecasts, posted a gif that shows the growth in the storm between 7:40am and 8:40am on Wednesday.
He captioned his tweet: "Since 1950, there have been 7 August Category 4+ hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: Camille (1969), Allen (1980), Andrew (1992), Bret (1999), Charley (2004), Katrina (2005), Harvey (2017)."
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana has revealed that the area is already seeing rising water, hours before hurricane Laura hits the state.
"LA 1 remains closed at this time south of the Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow," the office posted on its Facebook page.
The office posted a photo of the area onto its page.
President Trump tweeted about hurricane Laura on Wednesday, hours before it is scheduled to hit the US.
He wrote: "Hurricane Laura is a very dangerous and rapidly intensifying hurricane.
"My Administration remains fully engaged with state & local emergency managers to continue preparing and assisting the great people Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Listen to local officials. We are with you!"
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh could not confirm whether the third night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) would be affected by hurricane Laura, in a call with reporters, including one from CNN.
He was also unable to confirm whether Laura would play a part in the messaging at the RNC.
"I have not seen the final draft of remarks. I know that the President and the White House is of course on top of the situation regarding the storms," he said.
"And that's, probably, to talk about moment to moment what is happening there, that's a question better aimed at the White House."
Due to Covid-19 concerns, Louisiana officials are transporting residents from coastal areas to hotels, instead of shelters in preparation for hurricane Laura.
Mike Steele, Communications Director at Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the State of Louisiana, told CNN: "What's being done on a state level, instead of picking them up and taking them to state operated shelters, they're being picked up and taken to hotel rooms because of Covid concerns."
He added that so far, "892 people have been assisted with their evacuation in coordination with the parish and the state."
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards announced at his press conference on Wednesday that the full Louisiana National Guard has been activated, to help deal with hurricane Laura.
He added: "We need everyone in southwest Louisiana paying close attention to this storm. People need to heed the warnings they have been given and evacuate."
The governor also said that parts of the state could be "unsurvivable," which echoed the National Hurricane Centre, which said earlier that there will be an "unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes."
It added that "only a few hours remain to protect life and property and all actions should be rushed to completion."
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office has evacuated prisoners in the area, in preparation for hurricane Laura.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the office confirmed that it started evacuating prisoners on Tuesday, and continued today.
"The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office began evacuating all prisoners, over 900, due to the threat of hurricane Laura. The prisoners will be housed in various facilities throughout the state and will be brought back as soon as conditions are safe," the Facebook post read.
Sheriff Tony Mancuso confirmed that the prison will stay open for anyone who commits a major crime, or engages in looting during the storm.
Judge Mark Henry of Galveston County, Texas, has urged any residents still in the area to evacuate as soon as possible, ahead of hurricane Laura.
Mr Henry told CNN that a majority of residents have already left the area, following a mandatory evacuation order, but he warned anyone who has remained that Galveston County could see major destruction tonight and on Thursday.
He said: "Our biggest concern is that this is a powerful storm and hurricanes are notorious for making last-minute changes that no one predicted, and we have very little time to react should that happen now."
The city evacuated 300 people on Tuesday, but had to stop as the weather worsened, according to CNN.
On Wednesday morning, NOAA Satellites posted a gif that showed the storm from space, including lightning strikes.
The organisation tweeted: "For this #WednesdayMorning, take a look at #HurricaneLaura with @NOAA's #GOESEast satellite as the hurricane's convection bursts with lightning.
"As of 8 a.m. EDT, #Laura had winds of 115 mph and was rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico."
Local officials in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana have urged residents to evacuate ahead of hurricane Laura's hitting the state on Wednesday night.
Mayor Nic Hunter, from Lake Charles, said "we expect a catastrophic event from this storm," during a press conference on Wednesday.
The parish, that is home to more than 200,000 people, is under a mandatory evacuation order, and CNN have reported that 600 people were transported out of the area on buses.
Calcasieu Parish Jury President Tony Guillory urged anyone still remaining to leave, and said: "Please, if you have not left yet, do so soon."
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