TS Laura still expected to become hurricane by Tuesday; Category 2 likely

Hurricane Marco moving quickly towards Louisiana
August 23, 2020
Terrebonne enacts Mandatory Evacuation for areas outside of floodgates
August 23, 2020
Hurricane Marco moving quickly towards Louisiana
August 23, 2020
Terrebonne enacts Mandatory Evacuation for areas outside of floodgates
August 23, 2020

Tropical Storm Laura is expected to move over the central and northwestern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night and Wednesday. Laura is currently forecast to make landfall at a Category 2, with a possibility of strengthening to a 3.


 

At 2 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located about 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. It’s moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph (33 km/h), and this general motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest is forecast on Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near or over Cuba tonight and Monday, and move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday.

 

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) from the center. Little change in strength is forecast while Laura moves near Cuba. However, strengthening is forecast after the storm moves over the Gulf of Mexico, and Laura is forecast to become a hurricane late Tuesday or Tuesday night.