Hurricane Laura Strengthens En Route To U.S. Gulf Coast

Evacuations have been ordered in parts of Texas as Hurricane Laura further strengthened Tuesday as it makes its way toward the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts, with weather officials warning of life-threatening storm surges and isolated rainfall totals of 15 inches across the northwestern Gulf Coast.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center says the hurricane will reach the two coasts Wednesday evening and is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall before moving inland Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

As of the 10 p.m. central time update, the storm is currently packing wind speeds of 90 miles per hour and is expected to gain significant strength over the next 24 hours. In its latest update, the hurricane center said the storm is expected to weaken rapidly after making landfall.

Several warnings and watches are in effect as Laura creeps toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Flooding from the storm is expected to extend from far eastern Texas to across Louisiana and Arkansas, according to weather officials. Wednesday to Friday, weather officials are forecasting rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches and isolated amounts of 15 inches across the northwestern Gulf Coast.

A hurricane warning is in effect for San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. A hurricane watch is in effect from east of Intracoastal City to west of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Hurricane-like conditions will reach the areas under a warning by Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and tropical storm conditions will arrive by late Wednesday or Wednesday night, the forecast says.

A storm surge warning is in effect from San Luis Pass to the mouth of the Mississippi River, while a storm surge watch is in effect from Freeport, Texas, to San Luis Pass. The watch is also in effect for the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and for lakes Pontchartrain, Maurepas and Borgne in Louisiana.

Storm surges in the warning area could reach up to 30 miles inland from the coastline in southwestern Louisiana and far southeastern Texas. In a dire warning, weather officials said "actions to protect life and property should be rushed to completion this evening, as water levels will begin to rise on Wednesday."

In Galveston, Texas, all island residents are under a mandatory evacuation to leave as the hurricane's track shifted slightly westward toward Galveston, city officials said. Residents are being asked to leave Tuesday, and city services will be suspended at noon. Officials warned that police and fire services will not be available once tropical storm winds arrive.

"With the uncertainties of this storm and its increasing strength, we need to take all necessary precautions to protect our residents," Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown said in a statement. "It’s imperative that you make plans this morning to secure your homes and move you and your family to safety off island."

According to KHOU, other voluntary evacuations are in place for parts of Chambers County, Brazoria County, Seabrook, Nassau Bay and the Bolivar Peninsula.

Officials in Houston asked residents to prepare supplies in case they lose power for a few days or need to evacuate homes along the coast. Some in the area are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey three years ago.

State emergencies were declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, and shelters opened with cots set farther apart, among other measures designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Finally, a tropical storm warning is in effect for Sargent, Texas, to San Luis Pass and east of Intracoastal City to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Tropical-storm conditions are expected in the warning area Wednesday night and Thursday.

Hurricane-force winds are also expected well inland into eastern Texas and western Louisiana early Thursday, weather officials say.

The National Hurricane Center cautions people not to focus on the details of the official forecast, stressing that hazards such as heavy rain, storm surge and winds will extend well away from the hurricane's center along the Gulf Coast.

There was little to keep Laura from turbocharging. Nearly all forecasts showed rapid strengthening at some point in the next couple of days.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press were used in this report.