An intensifying Hurricane Laura grew stronger by the hour Wednesday over the Gulf of Mexico as forecasters said the system strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm, spawning a storm surge that's already swamped parts of the Gulf Coast.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Wednesday after that Laura, now a major hurricane, has exploded into a Category 4 storm, threatening to bring life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding over eastern Texas and Louisiana.
As of 2 p.m. EDT, the storm is located about 200 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles, La., moving northwest at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.
"Little time remains to protect life and property," the NHC said in its latest advisory.
Laura is now a dangerous Category 4 hurricane that continues to intensify in the Gulf of Mexico and bring impacts to coastal areas as it edges closer.
Satellite images show that Laura has become “a formidable hurricane" in recent hours, threatening to smash homes and sink entire communities.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/hurricane-laura-expected-to-reach-category-4-strength-with-life-threatening-storm-surge-before-making-landfall