Hurricane Laura strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, and forecasters and local officials are warning people in its path to evacuate.
“Steps to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in the next few hours,” the NHC said early Wednesday morning.
The storm is located some 280 miles south-southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and 290 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, said the agency.
“On the forecast track, Laura should approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland near those areas tonight or Thursday morning,” the hurricane center said.
“Laura is a dangerous Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and is forecast to continue strengthening into a Category 4 hurricane later today. Rapid weakening is expected after Laura makes landfall.”
“Now that Laura’s eye is forming, there’s just not a lot of doubt that this will be a large and extremely dangerous hurricane for eastern Texas and Louisiana,” National Hurricane Center Senior Hurricane Specialist Eric Blake wrote on Twitter. “It is sobering to watch... please be smart if you are in the path.”
On Tuesday, mandatory evacuations were issued by officials in Louisiana and Texas.
In Louisiana, evacuation orders are in effect for Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Jefferson Parish, Lafourche Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and Terrebonne Parish.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott waived Houston-area tolls on roads.