With ongoing intensification, Hurricane Laura in the Gulf of Mexico will soon become a Cat-3 storm before making landfall on Thursday early morning(ET). Hurricane Laura is a large and powerful storm heading for the Louisiana-Texas border. Packed with hurricane winds in excess of 175kmh, the storm has the potential to cause devastating damage with the deadly combination of very strong winds and torrential rains associated with a storm surge of nearly 15feet along the coastline.
The hurricane is tracking northwest and will be recurving to move northward before making landfall as the Cat-3 system. The officials have ordered the evacuation of about 500,000 people in Louisiana and Texas. The storm had earlier lashed the Caribbean, especially Cuba and Jamaica.
The region was earlier bracing for Hurricane Marco which weakened before striking on Monday evening(ET). The focus has now shifted to Laura, which can cause hurricane conditions from San Luis Pass, Texas (south of Houston) to Intra Coastal City, La.
This is the peak of hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean which lasts till Nov-Dec. This storm reminds of an earlier Hurricane Rita which struck Louisiana and Texas in 2005. Hurricane Rita had caused damage to the tune of $25.2 billion and catastrophic conditions. Hurricane Laura is matching the intensity and track of Hurricane Rita.