A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes ahead of Hurricane Laura’s projected early Thursday morning landfall near the Texas-Louisiana line. The storm track and power is reminiscent of 2005’s Hurricane Rita, and Cameron assistant emergency preparedness director Ashley Buller says that storm flattened nearly every structure in the parish.
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a storm surge as much as 13 feet from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to Intracoastal City, Louisiana.
State Climatologist Barry Keim says the powerful storm is expected to be category three at landfall and bring winds in excess of 100-miles-per-hour. It’ll also threaten inland parishes throughout northwest Louisiana.
Governor Edwards says he will likely extend Phase Two restrictions that are set to expire Friday due to the state’s current level of viral transmission, and the possibility that mandatory evacuation orders for Laura could result in spreading events.
Cut 10 (08) “…of super spread.”
Edwards warns the state will not have the same level of information and data they normally would due to the impact of Marco and Laura on drive-up testing facilities.
300 dollar federally enhanced unemployment benefits will be sent out to qualifying unemployment recipients tomorrow. About 20,000 residents will not be eligible because they did not indicate on their unemployment form that their unemployment was COVID-related. Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie says the state is trying to contact those people…