Hurricane Laura Update - Wednesday August 26, 4:45pm

Click Here is an update concerning Hurricane Laura. 

Changes from previous update: 

• The Storm Surge Watch east of the MS River has been replaced by a Coastal Flood Warning. Life-threatening inundation is not expected in these areas.

• Otherwise, no significant changes to expected impacts

Overview:

• Hurricane Laura continues to strengthen
• It is forecast to continue strengthening and will be an extremely dangerous category 4 at landfall
• Generally minor to moderate impacts are expected to persist across SE LA and S MS through Thursday

Confidence:

• We are confident that minor to moderate impacts will be experienced across portions of SE LA and S MS.

Impacts:

Storm Surge:

• Possible storm surge inundation levels:

  • Morgan City to MS River: 4-7 ft inundation possible, mainly west of Grand Isle

  • All other coastal areas: 1-3 ft

• Expect low-lying, coastal roads to be flooded and a several could become impassable

• Some areas will become cut off or inaccessible

Wind and Tornado: 

• Sustained tropical storm force winds with higher gusts will be possible mainly across areas near and just east of the Atchafalaya River through tonight
• Elsewhere, tropical storm force wind gusts will be possible
• These winds could result in minor damage mainly to trees, powerlines, and weaker structures.  A few trees may fall and block roadways or damage structures.
• Tornadoes will also be possible in the storm’s rain bands. Tornadoes in these situations are typically short-lived, but they move very quickly

Rainfall/Flooding:

• A flash flood watch is in effect through 7pm Thusday

• There is potential for heavy rainfall if/where any of Laura's outer bands track

• Expect ponding of water in low lying areas and some potential for localized flash flooding

The attached briefing below highlights the threats associated with this system.

Additional Information and Resources:
NWS New Orleans Website: www.weather.gov/neworleans
NWS New Orleans DSS Website: http://www.weather.gov/lix/embrief
NWS New Orleans Tropical Page: https://www.weather.gov/srh/tropical?office=lix
River Gauges and Forecasts: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lix
NWS New Orleans Facebook: www.facebook.com/NWSNewOrleans
NWS New Orleans Twitter: https://twitter.com/NWSNewOrleans
Online Severe Weather Reporting: https://www.weather.gov/lix/submit_storm_report
National Hurricane Center Website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Next Update and Contact Information:

The next update will be sent following the 10pm advisory. If you have any questions in the interim or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We can be reached by phone at 504-522-7330 or 985-649-0429.  Use extension 4 to speak with a forecaster.  Alternatively, you can reach us by email by replying to this message or sending an email to sr-lix.forecasters@noaa.gov. Both methods will be delivered to the forecasters on shift at the office.

Regards,
Danielle Manning
Meteorologist
NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge