Hurricane Laura continues to aim for Louisiana/Texas border

Local weather stations reporting near tropical storm force winds at 3pm
August 26, 2020
TPCG announces Thursday’s solid waste schedule
August 26, 2020
Local weather stations reporting near tropical storm force winds at 3pm
August 26, 2020
TPCG announces Thursday’s solid waste schedule
August 26, 2020

Rain bands continue to move onshore along the Gulf Coast, and along with them, tornado watches and warnings. A Storm Surge Warning and Tropical Storm Warning are in effect for Assumption, Lower Jefferson, Lower Lafourche, Lower Plaquemines, Lower Terrebonne, Upper Lafourche, and Upper Terrebonne.

 

At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Laura was located near latitude 27.9 North, longitude 92.8 West. Laura is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h). A turn toward the
north-northwest and north is expected tonight, and a northward motion should continue on Thursday. A northeastward to east-northeastward motion is expected Thursday night and Friday. On the
forecast track, Laura will approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland within that area tonight. The center of Laura is forecast to move over northwestern Louisiana tomorrow, across Arkansas Thursday night, and over the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday.

 

Reports from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher gusts. Laura is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some additional strengthening is possible this evening before Laura reaches the northwest Gulf coast overnight. Rapid weakening is expected after Laura moves inland.


 

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km). The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is 947 mb (27.97 inches).

 

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

Intracoastal City LA to Morgan City including Vermilion Bay…8-12 ft
Morgan City LA to Mouth of the Mississippi River…4-7 ft
Mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs MS including Lake Borgne…1-3 ft


The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes. This surge could penetrate up to 40 miles inland from the immediate coastline, and flood waters will not fully recede for several days after the storm. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.