Cyclone ‘Laura’, which has already caused havoc as a tropical storm as it passes through several Caribbean countries, has rapidly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico to the point of being a category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the National Hurricane Center (CNH) of the United States.
‘Laura’ advances towards the south coast of the United States with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and, according to the CNH, it will become a category four hurricane this Wednesday. It is slated to make landfall late in the day or early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border.
The US agency has warned of potential “catastrophic” effects, despite the fact that meteorologists predict that once the cyclone has made landfall it will lose strength. Thus, they have anticipated rains and strong gusts of wind that could complicate the supply of water or electricity.
The governors of Louisiana and Texas, John Bel Edwards and Greg Abbott, respectively, have urged the population to prepare and exercise caution. Several towns on the Texas coast have issued evacuation orders that would affect hundreds of thousands of people, according to NBC News.
