Westwood One (WBAP/KLIF) – Hurricane Laura made landfall overnight in southwestern Louisiana near the Texas border as a menacing Category 4 storm. It has since been downgraded to a Category Three storm. Meteorologist Chad Myers reports high winds have been pushing ocean waters up into the rivers of Louisiana.
The storm’s power has raised fears of a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters say would be “unsurvivable” and capable of sinking entire communities on the Texas and Louisiana coast. Authorities implored coastal residents to evacuate but not everyone did.
The storm grew rapidly Wednesday and it continued to draw energy from the warm Gulf of Mexico waters. Laura arrived Thursday morning as the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. so far this year. Forecasters said up to 18 inches of rain could fall.
Storm chaser Reed Timmer with Accuweather tweeted video from downtown Lake Charles during the eye of the storm:
BREAkING! Buildings gutted in Lake Charles LA in powerful eye wall of #HurricaneLaura @RadarOmega_WX @ChasinSpin pic.twitter.com/wP3fPyREIZ
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) August 27, 2020
11:52pm UPDATE from the ground as @StephanieAbrams bears the strongest gusts thus far, approaching HURRICANE STRENGTH. Still only 74ish mph. We will likely see winds over 120mph to even 140 potentially. @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/SmBxfPKskE
— Chris Bruin (@ChrisBruinTV) August 27, 2020
