1 PM Update: Hurricane Laura now a Cat 4 storm with 140 mph winds

The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that storm surge from Hurricane Laura could reach an “unsurvivable” 20 feet in parts of Texas and Louisiana.

Forecasters say Hurricane Laura rapidly strengthened overnight and is now set to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border as an “extremely dangerous” category-4 hurricane late Wednesday into early Thursday. The NHC says Laura will bring “catastrophic” storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding to the northwest Gulf Coast.

In a dire 10 a.m. public advisory, forecasters warned that “only a few hours remain to protect life and property.”

Hurricane Laura is located about 365 miles southwest of Lake Charles, La., as of 10 a.m. Wednesday. It is moving northwest at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.

Видео 1 PM Update: Hurricane Laura now a Cat 4 storm with 140 mph winds канала WWLTV