Laura Continues To Strengthen And Is Expected To Be A Major Hurricane At Landfall
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Laura continues to strengthen and is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall.
At 11 p.m. Tuesday, the storm is located about 405 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Laura is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph, and this general motion should continue overnight.
A turn toward the northwest is forecast on Wednesday, and a northwestward to north-northwestward motion should continue through Wednesday night.
On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move across the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday.
The hurricane should approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts on Wednesday evening and move inland near those areas Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph with higher gusts.
Significant strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Laura is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall.
Rapid weakening is expected after Laura makes landfall.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.
NOAA buoy 42001 in the central Gulf of Mexico recently reported a sustained wind of 45 mph and a gust to 54 mph.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- San Luis Pass Texas to the Mouth of the Mississippi River
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- San Luis Pass Texas to Intracoastal 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:
- Freeport Texas to San Luis Pass
- 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
