Hurricane Laura Upgraded to Likely Intensify
This morning Tropical Storm Laura was upgraded to Hurricane Laura with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 Km/h). The storm is currently located 550 miles southeast of Galveston, TX and is tracking at 14 – 16mph in a North Northwest direction. 6 days ago we were tracking three potential storms and now Hurricane Laura is the dangerous one.
Concerns now are that the storm will rapidly intensify and can become a Category 3 storm by landfall, which can cause large amounts of destruction of property and potential for loss of life. A category three storm has winds of 111 to 129 mph (178 to 208 Km/h). Current landfall projections range from Houston, TX to Western Louisiana with Port Arthur, TX now seen as the center of the cone.
Since the storm has slowed its movement from the 20 mph it was traveling as a tropical storm, it is more likely to gain strength and therefore there is more danger from both wind, rain, and storm surge. Areas are already being evacuated with both Port Arthur and Galveston, TX under mandatory evacuation orders. A hurricane warning stretches from Houston to just west of Lafayette, Louisiana.
The cone of probable path for Hurricane Laura as of August 25 14:49 CDT
Remember, Hurricane Laura has strong potential to upgrade to a major storm over the next 24 to 36 hours. Please make sure you begin preparations now. If you need assistance here is the link to our National Hurricane Center – Hurricane Checklist!
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