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A storm surge that could not be survived, a wall of water as high as two stories: the US authorities issued drastic warnings shortly before the extremely dangerous hurricane “Laura” should hit land.
Washington / San Francisco (dpa) – The hurricane “Laura” has gained further strength over the Gulf of Mexico and is heading for the US coast as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane.
With wind speeds of up to 225 kilometers per hour, “Laura” is now a four out of five hurricane, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC warns of an unsustainable storm surge and “destructive” waves. Hundreds of thousands of people had been asked to get to safety.
According to the forecast, “Laura” should hit the mainland on Thursday morning German time near the border between the states of Texas and Louisiana and only then weaken. There is little time left to protect life and property before water levels rise and the wind gets stronger, the NHC warned on Wednesday noon (local time).
Meteorologist Benjamin Schott said at a press conference in New Orleans that some areas would be unrecognizable after the hurricane. “It is very difficult for many to imagine that a two-story wall of water will come ashore,” he said. The floods could bring water up to 50 kilometers inland and wreak havoc in cities.
The Mayor of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Nic Hunter, expressed concern in a radio interview that not all people followed the instructions to get to safety. Texas’ governor also warned those affected to take the warnings seriously. The top priority in a hurricane is to protect his life, he told Fox News. “Property can be replaced, life cannot.” Abbott stressed that the evacuation measures would take precautions to protect people from the coronavirus. Texas is one of the states particularly hard hit by the pandemic.
Where “Laura” hits land, “devastating storm damage” must be expected, warned the National Hurricane Center. Well-built houses could be badly damaged and trees could be uprooted. There will be no electricity or water for several days or weeks. A life-threatening storm surge with large and dangerous waves and flash floods is also forecast. After hitting the mainland, meteorologists expect a slowdown. Strong winds and extensive flooding could not only be limited to Texas and Louisiana, but could also affect the state of Arkansas.
“Laura” had quickly gained strength over unusually warm sea water and was classified from category two to category four within a few hours. This makes “Laura” the first very strong hurricane of the season.
The US climate agency NOAA predicts that 2020 could be a record year for hurricanes. 19 to 25 storms are expected, of which seven to eleven could become hurricanes, three to six even very strong with wind speeds of 178 kilometers per hour and more. In average years there are twelve storms on the Atlantic coast, three of which develop into category three, four or five hurricanes. The cyclone season ends in late November.
Louisiana’s Governor John Bel Edwards had said on Monday: “I want everyone to understand that this has the potential to be the strongest hurricane to hit (us) since Hurricane” Rita “.” “Rita” hit the United States in 2005 as a force 3 hurricane on the Texas-Louisiana border and swept the country at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. In the meantime, 1.3 million people had to leave the coastal region. The authorities put the number of direct hurricane deaths at seven, but numerous other people died during the evacuation measures, among other things from the effects of the heat.
“Rita” hit the US south coast shortly after the deadly hurricane “Katrina”. “Katrina” wreaked havoc in the city of New Orleans in 2005 and is considered to be one of the most serious natural disasters in the country. Hundreds of people died then.
Meanwhile, more than 15,000 firefighters continued their fight against devastating forest fires on the US west coast. In the past 24 hours alone, there have been more than 400 lightning strikes in Northern California, the fire department announced on Wednesday morning (local time). Many of the more than two dozen major fires in Northern California that had raged since mid-August were caused by lightning. Since then, an area of more than 5300 square kilometers has burned down. According to the authorities, seven people were killed and almost 1,700 buildings were destroyed, it said.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200825-99-295801 / 12
NHC on Hurricane Laura
Communication Cal Fire
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