Hurricane Laura underwent very rapid intensification on Wednesday, and is now a high-end Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Laura could strengthen slightly more before making landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border around 1:00-2:00 a.m. CDT. Laura is an extremely dangerous hurricane and all preparations should have been completed. Storm surge of 15-20 feet, described by the National Hurricane Center as “unsurvivable” is possible from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. Laura could be near Category 5 strength when landfall occurs. Laura is the first major hurricane of the 2020 season, and the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico during August since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

As of 7:00 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Hurricane Laura was centered near 28.4°N 92.9°W, and was moving north-northwestward at about 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 130 knots (150 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 940 mb. Laura’s maximum sustained winds have increased by 60 knots in the last 24 hours, a remarkable rate of intensification for a tropical cyclone. The Gulf of Mexico is known as a breeding ground for strong hurricanes in late August, and Laura has proven to be no exception. Laura has developed a clear, well-defined eye in satellite imagery today, with cloud tops surrounding the eye as cold as -70 to -80 degrees Celsius. Some additional intensification is possible tonight, and it is not out of the question Laura could briefly attain Category 5 status before making landfall. Laura should move northward on Thursday and weaken quickly, and then turn to the northeast on Friday. On Saturday, Laura or its remnants are likely to bring rainfall to the mid-Atlantic United States. Laura is likely to lose tropical characteristics by the weekend as it accelerates northeastward off the United States. The ECMWF model has occasionally showed re-intensification or regeneration into a tropical storm, but this scenario is not explicitly forecast by the National Hurricane Center as of this time.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect from Freeport, Texas to the Mouth of the Mississippi River. A Hurricane Watch is in effect from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Mississippi River. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Sargent, Texas to San Luis Pass, as well as from Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Storm Surge of up to 15-20 feet is expected from Johnson Bayou, Louisiana to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge.

Laura is expected to be the 12th hurricane and 4th major hurricane to strike the continental United States since 2016, after a total of only 4 hurricanes and 0 major hurricanes making landfall in the United States from 2009 to 2015.