The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said "extremely dangerous" Laura would bring winds of 240 km per hour and "destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage" to Louisiana and Texas. Satellite images revealed the immense size of the hurricane as it made landfall at around 0600 GMT, while television pictures showed heavy rain lashing the coastal city of Lake Charles, and powerful winds uprooting trees. Another evacuee in Lake Charles, Patricia Como, said other family members had stayed behind but she was "not going to take a chance." Traumatized cityIn New Orleans, devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the historic French Quarter was empty of tourists. Laura earlier caused flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, killing at least 25 people.

Source: Dhaka Tribune August 27, 2020 14:15 UTC