Aerial images show the destruction that Laura caused 1:24
(CNN) - Approximately eight million people are under flash flood watch as Laura moves through the South-Central, bringing with it threats of heavy rain and isolated tornadoes.
Early on Friday morning, Laura crossed Arkansas and advanced into southeastern Missouri as a tropical depression with 35 mph winds. In preparation for the storm, Arkansas previously deployed search and rescue teams along with members of the National Guard to assist.
Throughout the day, the storm will cross Kentucky and continue east all the way to shore through New Jersey and Delaware on Saturday night.
Laura is expected to dump up to 6 inches of rain over central and northern Arkansas this Friday, while parts of southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri may see scattered showers of up to 5 inches.
The rain is likely to cause flash flooding in streams, highways and urban areas, as well as moderate river flooding in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. English).
"The threat of heavy rain and the potential for flash and urban flooding will extend northeast into the valleys of central Mississippi, lower Ohio and Tennessee, and the Mid-Atlantic states on Friday and Saturday," the center said. .
Parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi have the highest risk of tornadoes on Friday, while that risk will shift to Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and parts of Pennsylvania on Saturday.
More than 500,000 customers were without power in Louisiana early Friday, and more than 200,000 were in the dark in Texas, according to poweroutage.us.
"Like a week out of a bad science fiction novel"
Laura made landfall early Thursday near Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds of around 150 mph. Some areas along the coast were hit by fierce winds and a relentless storm surge that left some neighborhoods littered with rubble.
"#Laura has left dangers like flooded roads, downed power lines and displaced wildlife in our communities that no one should take lightly," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Twitter Thursday night. "Everyone must stay alert and be safe."
At least six deaths were reported statewide after the cyclone. Four people died after falling trees: a 14-year-old girl in the Vernon District; a 51-year-old man in the Jackson District; a 60-year-old man in the Acadia District and a 64-year-old man in the Allen District, authorities said.
Two people died in the Calcasieu District: a 24-year-old man and another man whose age was not disclosed by the state Health Department.
Image of a damaged building Thursday after Laura passed an area near Lake Charles.
In a post, posted after the cyclone, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said on Facebook Thursday night that the last "24 hours felt like a week out of a bad sci-fi novel." .
Water plants were damaged, the mayor said, and "barely a trickle of water comes out of most taps" in Lakes Charles homes, along with widespread power outages.
"If you return to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks," wrote the mayor. "Watch and go is really the best option for many," he added.
"I've never seen this kind of damage"
Across the state, many of those who were evacuated before the hurricane are afraid of what they will find when they return home. The hurricane struck communities, damaging ceilings and walls, ripping street signs, breaking trees and bending utility poles.
In Lafayette, Louisiana, Brandon Montgomery's home was saved from flooding and wind damage on Thursday. But his neighbor was not so lucky: at least 30 cm of water flooded his house.
View this post on Instagram
Glad it slopes down, otherwise that woulda been me # hurricanelaura2020
A post shared by Brandon (@ lunar_prince14) on Aug 27, 2020 at 12:07 pm PDT
The flooding in his neighborhood began during the early hours of Thursday, and by Thursday morning, the water had risen to about a meter in height.
In Lake Charles, which was hit hard by Laura, some buildings were reduced to pieces of wood, reported CNN affiliate WVUE.
Latoyia Jackson and her sister told the affiliate that their family urged them to evacuate when the cyclone made its way into their community. The two have seen photos of the place and Jackson now says he is afraid to return and find that "everything is gone."
In downtown Lake Charles, two residents told WVUE they couldn't find a single person to talk to amid the devastation.
"I've never seen this kind of damage," said one resident. Images from the city show store signs on the ground, broken windows, destroyed tents and debris on the roads.
- LEE: How you can help those affected by Hurricane Laura
There is a lot of damage. People are going to need a lot of help here, ”said Paul Heard, who was in Lake Charles when the hurricane struck. Heard says he left his home and took refuge in his car just as the cyclone ripped off parts of the roof early Thursday.
As he watched from eight meters away, "I could see my ceiling going up and down several inches," he told CNN.
CNN's Rob Shackelford, Jason Hanna, Madeline Holcombe, and Theresa Waldrop, Joe Sutton and Kelsie Smith contributed to this report.
Hurricane Laura Floods
