HOUSTON (US) – Hurricane Laura could directly hit on Houston this week and people living on the Gulf Coast should evacuate immediately, officials in Texas warned on Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center forecast that 13 feet (4 meters) of flood water could be sent up to as much as 30 miles (48 km) inland along the coast near the Texas and Louisiana border.
Lina Hidalgo, the top executive for Harris County, said, “This storm certainly can cause unprecedented devastation. We truly have to say: Prepare for the worst.”
Laura was expected to become a “major” hurricane of Category 3 or higher by Wednesday night as it approaches the US coast, according to the NHC.
The storm was located about 480 miles (770 km) southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Tuesday afternoon and moving to the west-northwest at 17 mph (28 kph), the NHC said.
Gina Spagnola, president of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’ve been through this before; we’re prepared. Everybody downtown has boarded up their businesses and people are leaving the city.”
“This is last thing anybody needs, with the pandemic hitting our families and businesses so hard. Everybody has a plan, and we’ll partner up to help each other after the storm.”
Hurricane Laura is forecast to disappear quickly after landfall. However, the greatest danger is likely to be more from wind and storm surges than from rain.
“It’s imperative that you make plans this morning to secure your homes and move you and your family to safety off island,” Galveston’s acting Mayor Craig Brown said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.