by: NEWS 8, WFLA and Nexstar Media Wire
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Meteorologists with the National Hurricane Center. said Hurricane Laura strengthened into a Category 3 stormWednesday morning and is forecast to power up into a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane as it nears Texas and Louisiana.
Speaking Wednesday am, the National Hurricane Center warned that the hurricane is expected to produce potentially life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding along the northwest Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening.
A spokesperson with The NHC said in a 7 a.m. advisory, “Steps to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in the next few hours.”
It was about 235 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas moving northwest at 16 mph.
Laura is expected to reach the Louisiana and Texas coasts Wednesday evening and move inland either Wednesday night or Thursday morning. As of 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, Laura had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.
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