Laura has become an "extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane." Catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding are expected along the northwest Gulf coast tonight.
As of 1 p.m., Laura was located about 200 miles south southeast of Lake Charles. It was moving northwest at 16 mph.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 mph.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the storm's center, and tropical storm-force winds extend out 175 miles.
Forecaster wrote in a 1 p.m. update that "little time remains to protect life and property."
Rain falls on religious statues in front of White Elephant trading Co. on LA-59 as Hurricane Laura develops in the Gulf of Mexico in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Breixon Ramos, age 7, right, reacts to his brother Anthony, age 8, as he holds a crab over him while the kids fish with their father Eddie off a bridge in Irish Bayou, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, as Hurricane Laura approaches Louisiana. Anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
People run along Lake Pontchartrain as standing water is seen at the west end of Lakeshore Drive as Hurricane Laura forms in the Gulf of Mexico in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A power line is repaired along LA-59 in advance of Hurricane Laura in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Signs direct residents to a sand bag station at the St. Tammany Parish Government building at 21410 Koop Dr. in advance of Hurricane Laura in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A sand bag station is set up at the St. Tammany Parish Government building at 21410 Koop Dr. in advance of Hurricane Laura in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A convoy of bucket trucks are seen heading west on U.S. Highway 190 in advance of Hurricane Laura in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A vacuum truck drives through standing water on Lakeshore Drive as Hurricane Laura forms in the Gulf of Mexico in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Vehicles drive through standing water on Lakeshore Drive as Hurricane Laura forms in the Gulf of Mexico in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A sign at Mandeville Seafood urges people to "keep calm and eat shrimp" on LA-59 as Hurricane Laura develops in the Gulf of Mexico in Mandeville, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Excavators collect dirt from the Barrow Canal as they built up lower parts of the 48-mile levee ring between Larose and Golden Meadow communities in Cut Off, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The construction is part of an ongoing project. ORG XMIT: BAT2008251601470193
Despite the impeding storm, life seems to be a little normal asÊTeri and William Regan spend William's birthday fishing in the shade at Oak Ridge Community Park in Golden Meadow, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. ORG XMIT: BAT2008251543440183
A customer enters reenforced and open T-Pop's Mart as Hurricane Laura approaches the Louisiana-Texas line in Golden Meadow, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Excavators collect dirt from the Barrow Canal as they built up lower parts of the 48-mile levee ring between Larose and Golden Meadow communities in Cut Off, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The construction is part of an ongoing project.
Excavators collect dirt from the Barrow Canal as they built up lower parts of the 48-mile levee ring between Larose and Golden Meadow communities in Cut Off, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The construction is part of an ongoing project.
South Lafourche Levee District General Manger of 40 years Windell A. Curole stands next to the Barrow Canal as excavators collect dirt from the Barrow Canal as they built up lower parts of the 48-mile levee ring between Larose and Golden Meadow communities in Cut Off, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The construction is part of an ongoing project.
Excavators collect dirt from the Barrow Canal as they built up lower parts of the 48-mile levee ring between Larose and Golden Meadow communities in Cut Off, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The construction is part of an ongoing project.
Despite the impeding storm, life seems to be a little normal as Teri and William Regan spend William's birthday fishing in the shade at Oak Ridge Community Park in Golden Meadow, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Despite the impeding storm, life seems to be a little normal as Teri Regan tries to free her line as it gets stuck while she fishes in the shade at Oak Ridge Community Park in Golden Meadow, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Despite the impending storm, life seems to be a little normal as Devin Barrow, of Thibodaux, La., fishes at the closed Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow, La., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Stanley Landry smiles after catching two fish off a bridge at Irish Bayou as Hurricane Laura approaches Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Keith Smith, left, and Stanley Landry smile after catching fish off a bridge at Irish Bayou as Hurricane Laura approaches Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Joseph Cormier throws a shrimp net near the closed Ridgeway Blvd. at Lake Pontchartrain as Hurricane Laura approaches in Irish Bayou, La. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Keith Smith, left, and Stanley Landry take their catch off of the hook after catching fish off a bridge at Irish Bayou as Hurricane Laura approaches Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Fishermen use a net to bring in a catch off a bridge at Irish Bayou as Hurricane Laura approaches Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A bucket of freshly caught fish is seen as people fish off a bridge at Irish Bayou as Hurricane Laura approaches Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. The anglers say the incoming hurricane makes for good fishing. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Laura strengthened into a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning.
Laura is expected to make landfall along the Louisiana and Texas border some time between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“Laura is shaping up to look a lot like Rita did 15 years ago in terms of its forecast intensity and in terms of where it’s supposed to make landfall in southwest Louisiana," Edwards told reporters Tuesday night. "All of coastal Louisiana should brace for storm surge.”
As Hurricane Laura began gaining strength over warm Gulf of Mexico waters on Tuesday, officials raised comparisons to Hurricane Rita, warning …
Thousands of residents in southwest Louisiana have been told or advised to evacuate.
Officials in Calcasieu Parish issued a mandatory evacuation for their 200,000 or so residents, as did officials in the smaller neighboring Cameron Parish, near the Texas border. Another 385,000 residents of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas were also told to flee, the Associated Press reported.
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