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It’s a textbook case of rapid intensification.

rapidly intensified to Category 4 strength Wednesday. The storm fueled up over warm waters up to 90 degrees in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Laura has “the look” Wednesday with a concentric central dense overcast (CDO) and well-defined eye structure as it spins toward the Louisiana coast.

The latest hurricane track forecast from NHC brings Laura ashore early Thursday morning along western the Louisiana coast. Hurricane warnings are up for eastern Texas and western Louisiana. 

With winds expected to remain at or near 140 mph up until landfall, anything standing near the coast will suffer extensive wind damage.

NHC is calling the storm surge with Laura “unsurvivable” to anyone in the direct path. A massive storm surge between 10 to 20 feet is likely near and to the right of where the center makes landfall. This includes the Lake Charles, Louisiana area.

The Louisiana coast is a maze of bayous and canals. Laura’s storm surge may penetrate up to 30-miles inland from the coast.

Laura is forecast to remain at Category 4, or even intensify to Category 5 strength at landfall. If that happens it would ebb the first Cat 5 to make landfall in Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina was a Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico, but was category 3 at landfall.

Extremely dangerous Major Hurricane Laura will bring a devastating blow to much of western Louisiana into Thursday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The storm packs sustained winds of 140 mph and may produce 10- to 20-foot storm surge.

GOES-16 visible satellite loop of Hurricane Laura Wednesday

Category 4 Hurricane Laura heading for a destructive landfall in Louisiana

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