Tropical Storm Laura became the fourth hurricane of the season in the Atlantic Ocean this Tuesday and will continue to strengthen rapidly in the coming hours in the Gulf of Mexico as it advances towards the southeastern coasts of the United States, where it can make landfall between the Wednesday and Thursday as a powerful force majeure cyclone with winds of up to 110 miles per hour.
Storm Marco dissipated after hitting Louisiana on Monday, although its remnants have the potential to discharge heavy rains in that region.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane watch from San Luis Pass, Texas, to west of Morgan City, Louisiana, which also extends to parts of eastern Houston, Beaumont, and Port Arthur, in Texas, as well as Lake Charles and Lafayette in Louisiana.
The watch means that tropical storm conditions (winds of 40 mph or greater) are possible in these areas by Wednesday afternoon and hurricane conditions (winds of more than 74 miles per hour) are possible by Wednesday night. , according to the NHC.
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Laura has caused at least 13 deaths on her way through Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, according to The Associated Press news agency. It is now expected to intensify rapidly in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are not going to be able to dodge the bullet so many times. And the current forecast is that Laura is headed for Louisiana, "said the governor of that state, John Bel Edwards, during a press conference on Monday after the storm Marco struck that state.
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Shrimp boats remained anchored in Louisiana ports awaiting the storm. And red flags flew on the beaches to warn bathers to stay away from the beating of the waves. Both face-to-face and online classes were canceled in several districts, the agency reported.
In Port Arthur, Texas, Mayor Thurman Bartie warned the more than 50,000 residents that they would have to be evacuated at 6:00 a.m. Eastern time, unless Laura changed her route and made landfall somewhere further toward the East.
"If they decide to stay, it is at their own risk ," Bartie said.
Authorities in Hosuton asked residents to get enough supplies in case they were left without power for a few days or had to be evacuated from their homes.
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“We have been battle tested. We are prepared to deal with this situation, ”said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday.
Louisiana and Mississippi declared a state of emergency and opened specially equipped shelters to accommodate refugees and maintain social distance due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meteorologists issued a hurricane watch from Port Bolivar, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana; a tropical storm watch from Port Bolivar to San Luis Pass, Texas, and from Morgan City to the mouth of the Mississippi, where the weakened storm Marco has begun to dissipate.
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Much of the region was also placed under storm surge watch. Forecasters warned that sea level could rise as much as 11 feet in western Louisiana . Additionally, Laura is expected to bring in 4 to 10 inches of rain by when she makes landfall Wednesday night.
The impact of the back-to-back storms comes just days before the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, which breached levees in New Orleans, washed away much of the Mississippi coastline and killed 1,800 people in 2005.
With information from The Associated Press.