Hurricane Laura Gains Momentum and is Heading for Texas

The US states of Texas and Louisiana are bracing for Hurricane Laura. It will probably come ashore on Wednesday.

 

The hurricane could cause flooding on the coast and dozens of miles inland, the National Hurricane Center warns. The wind can reach speeds of up to 185 kilometres per hour.

“We have to be prepared,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In some places, people are being evacuated.

Shelters have been set up in Texas, with precautions due to the coronavirus. Abbott urges families to go to hotels or motels so that they can avoid contact with others.

Laura is now a third category hurricane. There are five levels in total. In the coming hours, the hurricane could swell to Category 4, the second-highest.

In 2017, dozens of people were killed in Texas and Louisiana from Hurricane Harvey. It was of the third category.