Hurricane Laura could be ‘unsurvivable’ in parts of Texas, Louisiana

Hurricane Laura, which is forecast to make landfall Wednesday evening as a Category 4, could be “unsurvivable” in portions of Texas and Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center said.

The government agency warned the storm surge could reach 20 feet in areas between Houston and Lake Charles, La.

Officials in Texas and Louisiana ordered the evacuation of more than 500,000 people Tuesday as the storm barrels toward parts of Texas that were ravaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

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 30 miles inland from the immediate coastline. #Laura pic.twitter.com/bV4jzT3Chd

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 26, 2020

If the storm makes landfall during high tide, weather forecasters said flood levels up to 30 miles inland could put areas under 15 to 20 feet of water.

Wind speeds for Laura are projected to hit 120 mph in some parts near the Gulf Coast Thursday morning. As of late Wednesday morning, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, up from 110 mph earlier in the day.

The hurricane is currently a strong Category 3 hurricane.

WATCH: An update from @NHC_Atlantic Director Ken Graham:

“15 to 20 feet of storm surge is not survivable.” pic.twitter.com/pv1ZW2iJte

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 26, 2020

At around 11 a.m. ET, it was centered at 235 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, moving northwest at 16 mph, according to The Washington Post.

Videos Wednesday morning showed rising tides flooding some parts near Dauphin Island, Ala.

Flooding this morning on the west end of Dauphin Island… video from Heather Driskell pic.twitter.com/ROP7F93ghZ

— James Spann (@spann) August 26, 2020