Hurricane Laura’s storm surge could create a ‘wall of water over two stories high,’ devastating Texas, Louisiana
Hurricane Laura, now a Category 4 storm, is barreling towards the coasts of Louisiana and Texas with winds of 140 miles per hour and the threat of an “unsurvivable” storm surge with large and destructive waves that “will cause catastrophic damage,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
Laura’s storm surge could reach as high as 15 to 20 feet in some areas and travel as far as 30 miles inland. The storm may also bring flash flooding and tornadoes on land.
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Depending on when the storm strikes, Laura could coincide with high tide. A Category 4 hurricane brings especially strong winds of between 130 and 156 miles per hour that make storm surge worse and more destructive.
Flooding has started
The topography of south Louisiana, which is in the direct path of Laura, is especially vulnerable to a strong surge. Much of the land between the coast and the city of Lake Charles is marshland and there are networks of rivers and lakes that run into the Gulf of Mexico.
A strong storm surge will push all that water inland, exacerbating flooding and damaging properties. According to the NHC, the storm surge will arrive ahead of Laura’s center late Wednesday, which means if people delay evacuating, the roads could be already inundated.
“The storm surge flooding is starting now in Louisiana,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “It’s well ahead of the storm. It will just get worse over the next day or so.”
Hurricane Laura's storm surge could create a 'wall of water over two stories high,' devastating Texas, Louisiana
