DELCAMBRE: Hurricane Laura made landfall Thursday morning in southwest Louisiana as an ``extremely dangerous'' Category 4 storm, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana. It had maximum sustained winds of 150mph (240 kph), making it the most powerful hurricane to strike the US so far this year.
The storm's power has raised fears of a 20-foot (6-meter) storm surge that forecasters say would be ``unsurvivable'' and capable of sinking entire communities on the Texas and Louisiana coast.
Authorities have implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate, but not everyone did before howling winds began buffeting trees back and forth in an area that was devastated by Rita in 2005.
Video and photos on social media showed torrents of rain flying sideways past street lights in Lake Charles, and streets covered with water closer to the coast. A sudden storm surge knocked over cameras meant to capture the hurricane's effects.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana. It had maximum sustained winds of 150mph (240 kph), making it the most powerful hurricane to strike the US so far this year.
The storm's power has raised fears of a 20-foot (6-meter) storm surge that forecasters say would be ``unsurvivable'' and capable of sinking entire communities on the Texas and Louisiana coast.
Authorities have implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate, but not everyone did before howling winds began buffeting trees back and forth in an area that was devastated by Rita in 2005.
Video and photos on social media showed torrents of rain flying sideways past street lights in Lake Charles, and streets covered with water closer to the coast. A sudden storm surge knocked over cameras meant to capture the hurricane's effects.
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