Story at a glance
- Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) warned residents they need to listen to evacuation orders.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said residents only have hours to evacuate.
- The powerful hurricane is expected to make landfall overnight.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is warning coastal residents in the path of the powerful Category 4 Hurricane Laura to evacuate their homes now as the storm is expected to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border overnight.
The Louisiana governor emphasized Wednesday that the window for Louisianans to evacuate is rapidly closing.
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“People need to heed the warnings they’ve been given and to evacuate,” the governor said during a news briefing Wednesday.
“If you think you’re safe because you’ve made it through Rita in southwest Louisiana, understand this storm is going to be more powerful than Rita. It is gaining strength. It is not losing strength as it approaches the southwest coast. We know that the storm surge values are higher;the wind speeds will be higher,” he warned.
Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005 and is considered one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, according to The Weather Channel.
Bel Edwards said the storm surge could be 18 to 20 feet where the hurricane makes landfall.
Laura quickly intensified into an “extremely dangerous” major Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon with maximum winds of 140 mph.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said little time remains to protect life and property before water levels begin to rise and winds increase in the warning areas.
“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,” the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. “This surge could penetrate up to 30 miles from inland from the immediate coastline.”
A hurricane warning is in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, La.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also warned those in coastal orders to evacuate before it’s too late.
“For the areas in southeast Texas that will be closest to the point where the hurricane will come across the shoreline, those people still have only about five hours to evacuate,” Abbott said during a news conference.
“We urge everybody who may be in harm’s way to take these few last hours to get out of harm’s way,” he said.
“It may only be a day or two that you are required to be out of harms way, but because of the power of this storm if you are unable or do not get out of harms way the reality is — for almost a 24 hour time period — there will be no ability for rescuers or aiders to get in and assist you in anyway,” he added.
More than 500,000 people have been ordered to evacuate coastal areas in the states.
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