Hurricane Laura arrived on the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm with torrential rains, violent winds and dangerous storm surges, killing one and devastating communities. A shelter in place order is in effect around Louisiana’s Lake Charles, where a chemical plant fire was reported west of Lake Charles, Louisiana officials warn.
The National Hurricane Center warned of a potentially “unsurvivable” storm surge due to being only 15-feet above sea level. The maximum winds at landfall were 150 mph, and the storm’s pressure was recorded at 938 millibars 1 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Storm chaser Reed Timmer described the situation as Hurricane Laura makes landfall in Louisiana.
“As we wake up today, everyone must remember that the threat Laura poses to Louisiana is ongoing,” Lousiana Gov. John Bel Edwards tweeted Thursday. “Stay home, continue to heed the warnings and instructions of local officials and monitor your local news to stay informed.”
The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal posted images after the storm passed through Lake Charles.
According to NBC News, a 14-year-old girl was killed when a tree collapsed on her home in Vernon Parish of Lake Charles. There could be more casualties.
The weakening hurricane is moving northward towards mid-Atlantic states over the weekend. Hurricane Laura is currently tracking toward Arkansas, where the state was issued a tropical storm warning.
Track Laura here.