Laura strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hurricane Laura is now a dangerous Category 4 hurricane. Winds Wednesday afternoon reached 140 mph which is the threshold for a Category 4 storm.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect along the Gulf Coast, including all of Louisiana and eastern Texas.
The storm will likely stay a major hurricane, a Category 3 or higher and make landfall early Thursday morning near the Texas/Louisiana state line.
Winds are expected to be 100 mph and higher throughout much of Thursday. The National Hurricane Center describes the storm surge as “unsurvivable” as walls of water may reach up to 20 feet in some spots. The storm surge may also impact areas 30 miles inland.
Heavy rainfall will also be a problem with Laura.As much as 5-10 inches of rain is possible.
Laura will make landfall almost 15 years to the day from when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf. Katrina made a second landfall in the U.S. on August 28, 2005 as a category 3 storm in southeast Louisiana.
Once Laura moves farther northward it looks like it may bring parts of Indiana some rainfall this weekend.
