Hurricane Laura is now a Category 4, expected to make landfall tonight

CLOSE

What does Tropical Storm Laura look like from above? Video from NASA and NOAA Hurricane Hunters provides a unique view. Wochit

Hurricane Laura — which strengthened to a Category 1 on Tuesday morning — is now an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm expected to make landfall Wednesday night. 

Some additional strengthening is possible, but Laura is forecast to remain a Category 4 through landfall. Rapid weakening is expected as Laura heads inland. 

Laura is expected to approach the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts on Wednesday evening, then move inland near those areas on Wednesday night, the 1 p.m NHC advisory said. 

More: Laura, now a hurricane, forecast to hit Gulf Coast as ‘major’ Category 3

Category 4: What does it mean?

As of 4 p.m, Laura was recorded by the NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft as having maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It is located 220 miles south-southeast of Port Arthur, Texas. 

Laura is moving northwest at 16 mph.

Hurricane Laura watches and warnings

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for 

• Freeport, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for

• San Luis Pass, Texas to Intracoastal City, Louisiana

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for

• East of Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to west of Morgan City, Louisiana

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for

• Sargent, Texas, to San Luis Pass
• East of Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the Mouth of the Mississippi River

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for

• Mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, Mississippi
• Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Borgne

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for

• East of Intracoastal City to west of Morgan City, Louisiana

CLOSE

With a car full of pets, one owner evacuates her home in Beaumont in Jefferson County to ride out Hurricane Laura away from the coast. Storyful

When will Laura hit the coast?

(Tip: If the map above doesn’t load, click here.)

More tracker maps: Tropical Storm Laura spaghetti models

Read or Share this story: https://www.caller.com/story/news/2020/08/25/tropical-storm-laura-nhc-update-hurricane-forecast-texas-impact/5628839002/