Hurricane Laura is expected to develop into a 'catastrophic' Category 4 hurricane

Hurricane Laura, a major Category 4 storm, is set to hit near the Texas-Louisiana border on Thursday morning as local officials scramble to evacuate thousands of residents.

The storm’s rapid intensification shocked scientists and prompted forecasters to issue warnings of “unsurvivable storm surge” in Texas and Louisiana.

“Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes,” the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. “This surge could penetrate up to 30 miles inland from the immediate coastline.”

Laura could bring storm surge of nearly 13 feet to the coastline as well as flash flooding and tornadoes on land. The surge will arrive ahead of Laura’s center late on Wednesday, so if people delay evacuating, the roads could already be flooded.

The storm battered the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti over the weekend, knocking out power for more than 1 million people, collapsing some homes and killing at least 23 people.

“I’m running out of words. Hurricane Laura is now one of the fastest-intensifying storms in recorded history in the Gulf of Mexico,” climate scientist Eric Holthaus wrote in a tweet. “Laura now poses a catastrophic, potentially historic threat to coastal Louisiana.”

Rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change are leading to more intense and destructive hurricanes. As hurricanes such as Laura strengthen more rapidly in warmer waters, states have less time to prepare storm mitigation and evacuate people from dangerous areas.

“One thing we’ve seen in particular — with Harvey in 2017, and Florence and Michael in 2018 and now with Laura — is very rapid intensification, wherein the storm strengthens from a tropical storm to major hurricane status in less than a day,” said climate scientist Michael Mann.

“Such rapid intensification happens over very warm waters like we’ve seen in the tropical Atlantic and Gulf in recent years, and right now large parts of the Gulf are bathtub-level hot,” Mann said.


Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide.

Connect with CNBC News Online

For info on the best credit cards go to CNBC Select:

#CNBC
#CNBCTV

[moos]

"It's basically a bomb shelter" Says lady, standing in front of her wooden house...

[Paaka]

New Orleans don't need another horrible hurricane 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

[shirleywarmack]

Please dont leave your fur babies behind please get them to a safe place

[Mike-lvvs]

My heart goes out to those people a 4 is BAD. I've been living in the Florida Keys for 40 years and I evacuate when they tell us to go but I'm in a position to. Evacuation can be expensive so some people really don't have the money and shelters during a pandemic may seem like a worse option to many.

[Lanatus]

Geez this storm is really getting out of control. It was just a tropical storm yesterday.

[jfregia]

No way to get out, and no time...pray for us as I am praying for everyone who cant leave. Dear Lord, I pray for my babies and family and everyone and their loved ones and all of our pets, please keep us all safe, please put a blanket of protection and love over us all as the storm passes over us, please let no one be harmed and please comfort our hearts and ease our worried minds, for you are God, our loving father, thank you dear Lord, we love you, Amen.🙏 Everyone please stay safe💕

[ltbrutusq]

Pray America for a miracle that this hurricane be diminished and our fellow Americans in its path be safe.

[pickwhodat]

People in the direct path, you need to leave. Trust me, you dont wanna be in a "storm surge" in the middle of the night

[inproper]

Louisiana and Texas always get the hell beat out of them from these hurricanes.. I feel for these people who live in that region of US. 🙏💗

[richforever_-okrg]

How are you suppose to evacuate when your unemployed and unemployment is not paying smh the world we stay in

[newblood]

Heart goes out to the people afflicted by this coming catastrophe

[H.E.R.e]

1:30 yea lady that’s going to stop the house from flooding or being destroyed

[LeaRobertsonChannel]

This 2020 is the worst😭. Keep safe y'all.

[OG_HazelGrrl]

So are we absolutely certain we didnt make a small mathematical error while deciphering the Mayan Calendar...? We thought it said the end of the world was in 2012...but could it be 2021?😭

[juanitadelarosa]

Prayers to all the people 🙏 going thru this bad hurricane 🌀 prayers

[mynameisnotthathardtospell]

2020: HA, you though you could escape COVID with masks? Well now I’m gonna force you into big groups

[aob]

i’m praying for everyone. my heart goes out to them

[yeeyeejuice]

Sigh

Just evacuated Lake Charles and I'm now in New Roads I am devastated and I'm praying that all my stuff doesn't get destroyed all my life belongings is in Lake Charles and we tried to tell my uncle to evacuate but he won't and he's still there I'm just so stressed by this

[mattjoseph]

Bomb shelter + 9ft storm surge = drowning

[lillyhilton]

prayers going out to anyone who lives in the areas being hit.