Laura strengthens to Category 1 hurricane, could dump a foot of rain in some areas

Hurricane Laura strengthened from a tropical storm Tuesday morning, a day earlier than forecasters predicted.

The National Hurricane Center is now predicting Laura will “be a major hurricane at landfall.”

The storm, which has sustained winds of 75 mph, was originally expected to reach hurricane strength late Wednesday or early Thursday. To be a Category 1 hurricane, a storm must have winds of at least 74 mph.

Landfall will likely occur Thursday, between Upper Texas and Southwest Louisiana, according to an update issued at 1 p.m. CT Tuesday. That is a little farther west than forecasters initially expected.

A series of hurricane, storm surge and tropical storm warnings have been put in effect for large parts of the Gulf Coast between the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to east Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Laura is moving west-northwest at 16 mph, with landfall possible between western Louisiana and eastern Texas, the center says.

Hurricane force winds are extending 45 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds are being felt 175 miles away, forecasters say.

The Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines will begin feeling the storm’s winds around 2 a.m. Wednesday, followed by heavy rain, storm surge and potential tornadoes, forecasters say.

Counties farther inland may fare worse than coastal counties.

Mississippi, for example, could see 2 inches in the southern half of the state and up to 4 inches in the northern half, National Hurricane Center maps show.

“The heavy rainfall threat will spread northeastward into the middle-Mississippi, lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Friday and Saturday,” the center said.

“The threat of widespread flash and urban flooding, along with small streams overflowing their banks, will be increasing Wednesday night into Thursday from far eastern Texas, across Louisiana, and Arkansas.”

Much of western Louisiana, parts of eastern Texas and central Arkansas could get 6 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated areas of as much as a foot, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“Significant strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Laura is now expected to be a major hurricane at landfall,” the National Hurricane Center said early Tuesday.

“Now that an inner core appears to be trying to form, conditions appear ripe for at least steady intensification, and rapid intensification is becoming more likely before landfall. In fact, almost all of the explicit guidance models, save the statistical-dynamical models, are showing a period of rapid strengthening at some point during the next couple of days.”

As of 1 p.m. CT Tuesday, Laura was 525 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. 145 miles northwest of Cuba, and its storm-force winds extended out 175 miles from the center.

This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 7:40 AM.