Worst-case storm surge from Hurricane Laura was avoided thanks to low tide

damaged homes in aftermath of Hurricane Laura
(Image credit: Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Hurricane Laura is barreling through Louisiana and Texas after making landfall with sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour, just shy of a Category 5 hurricane.

Louisiana officials on Thursday reported the first death as a result of the storm: a teenage girl in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, was killed when a tree fell on a home. NBC News reports Laura was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane shortly after it made landfall, and is expected to continue weakening as it moves inland.

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