NHC warns of 'unsurvivable' storm surge from Hurricane Laura

Storm clouds are seen over the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans as Hurricane Laura churns in the Gulf of Mexico on August 25, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(Image credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The National Hurricane Center is warning that there are just a few hours left to prepare for Hurricane Laura as it heads toward Louisiana and Texas and is projected to make landfall as a major Category 4 storm.

The NHC issued a dire new warning about Hurricane Laura on Wednesday, saying that "unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage" from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, adding that the surge of up to 20 feet may "penetrate up to 30 miles inland." Over half a million people around the state line have been told to evacuate, The Associated Press reports.

"Only a few hours remain to protect life and property and all actions should be rushed to completion," the NHC said on Wednesday.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
See more

Nearly "half of all deaths from tropical cyclones come from storm surge," CNN notes. Laura is forecast to hit Louisiana and Texas as a "catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane on late Wednesday or early Thursday, with the National Weather Service warning that "most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

Based on the latest forecasts released on Wednesday, meteorologist Eric Holthaus wrote that on the U.S. Gulf Coast, Laura has become "one of the biggest hurricane threats in recorded history." Brendan Morrow

See more
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.