Aug. 27 (UPI) — Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are without electricity in Louisiana and Texas Thursday and at least three people are dead after Hurricane Laura arrived on land as a severe storm.
Laura arrived near Cameron, La., early Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center had warned of a potentially catastrophic impact and “unsurvivable” storm surge created by the storm.
Laura produced winds of 150 mph when it arrived. In Lake Charles, which was in Laura’s direct path, there were reports of damage and debris in the downtown area — but no severe flooding, which had been a major concern for the area since it’s just 15 feet above sea level.
When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, it caused widespread catastrophic flooding due to the state’s low elevation.
Other areas, including Lafayette, La., saw some flooding after Laura passed through.
A New Orleans Times-Picayune reporter tweeted that mobile homes in Lake Charles were “shredded,” roofs were torn off and trailers thrown around.
PowerOutage.us showed nearly 700,000 customers in Louisiana and Texas were without electricity by early Thursday afternoon.
“Power is out pretty much everywhere,” Calcasieu Parish spokesman Thomas Hoefer said. “We may get water in but it’s not here now. Cameron is dealing with the surge; we are dealing with the wind.”
City and state leaders had warned before Laura’s arrival that it could take several days to restore power to the affected areas, particularly with added precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least three people have died in the storm. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told reporters at a news conference Thursday that a 14-year-old girl was killed, and Edwards’ Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said two others died in Acadia and Jackson parishes. All three were killed by falling trees.
“As we wake up today, everyone must remember that the threat Laura poses to Louisiana is ongoing,” Edwards tweeted earlier. “Stay home, continue to heed the warnings and instructions of local officials and monitor your local news to stay informed.”
A chemical fire erupted in Westlake, La., less than five miles west of Lake Charles, and state troopers closed nearby Interstate 10.
“Residents are advised to shelter in place until further notice and close your doors and windows,” Edwards tweeted.
Storm chaser Brandon Clement of WXChasing posted video of wind toppling a recreational vehicle and WKRG-TV broadcast footage of a badly damaged home in Lake Charles.
A video shot by storm chaser Reed Timmer showed a powerful winds battering the Lake Charles Convention Center as Laura moved through the city in the pre-dawn hours.
One user posted a tweet early Thursday that showed high winds destroying a Wendy’s restaurant sign.
Laura weakened to a Category 2 storm almost immediately after moving over land, but was still packing winds of 120 mph.
The White House said Thursday President Donald Trump is committed to “deploying the full resources of the federal government to rescue those in distress, support those in the region affected and restore disruptions to our communities and infrastructure.”
