Laura Likely To Approach Category-4 Hurricane Intensity in the Northwest Gulf Wednesday Night
08/25/2020, 6:03 am EDTClassic -PDO/+AMO Late Summer Drought In Iowa
08/30/2020, 12:02 pm EDT11AM Laura Update…Storm surge forecast raised to 15-20 feet.
At 11AM EDT Category-3 Major Hurricane Laura is located at 27.0N/92.0W or 225 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles, LA. Laura is moving northwest at 16 mph with top wind 125 mph and surface pressure 956 MB.
The updated NOAA/NHC forecast indicates Laura will become a category 4 hurricane later today with peak intensity of 145 mph wind in the northwest Gulf of Mexico prior to landfall tonight. The landfall forecast remains the TX/LA state line just-after midnight tonight.
Tropical storm wind arrives in far southeast Louisiana early this afternoon and reaches inland Texas/Louisiana by early evening. Hurricane force wind arrives 8-9PM along the TX/LA state line and eastward for coastal southwest Louisiana and will extend inland to more than halfway the length of the LA/TX state line later night. Major hurricane force wind speeds are likely in the vicinity of TX/LA state line and eastward to the coast south of Lake Charles. The storm surge forecast has increased to 15-20 feet near the TX/LA state line eastward along the southwest coast of Louisiana. The storm surge is 10-15 feet on the upper Texas coast and 10-15 feet central Louisiana coast. The forecast identifies a record storm surge for this location with catastrophic coastal damage extending well inland for low-lying land and also major loss of life for anyone along or just inland the coast. 10-15 in. of rain is forecast along and just east of the track. Laura will not stall moving inland. By this weekend the storm moves across the Mid-Atlantic and returns to subtropical strength south of New England Saturday night.
Please note the new storm surge forecast…15-20 feet TX/LA line and southwest Louisiana.
Latest NOAA/NHC forecast track…inland TX/LA state line 1AM CDT THU as category-4 storm.
