The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) is forecasting that Tropical Storm Laura could strengthen into a hurricane by early Tuesday, having wreaked havoc across several parts of the Caribbean.
The storm is currently located roughly 255 miles (415 km) off the shore of Cuba with maximum wind speeds of 65 mph (100 kph) and is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico between late Monday and early Tuesday, where it will likely strengthen greatly, eventually reaching hurricane force, the NHC warned.
Laura has already saturated the Caribbean, with flooding rainfall reported in Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as dozens of building collapses, numerous injuries and at least a dozen fatalities have all been reported by local media. A final tally is not expected for some time.
Eyewitness footage shows the destruction wrought by the flooding and high winds, with some areas faring far worse than others.
Half-Way Tree rn. It was much ? pic.twitter.com/ZR0h3duPHA
Scène de mon pays! C’est sur la Rte de frères…. #Haïti#tempêtetropicalelaurapic.twitter.com/F1xAsp0dmz
In Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic, the ferocious weather tore down electricity poles which flattened cars. Some 200,000 people were left without power in Puerto Rico.
@EdesurRD así amanece en la calle Victor Garrido PUELLO casi esq Emiliano Tardif en Evaristo Morales, hace más de 4 horas, y no llegan sus unidades. pic.twitter.com/WghsKgCH4r
A mother and child died in the capital when their home collapsed around them. At least ten others are believed to have perished in the flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Río se crece en frontera Pedernales – Haití por paso de la Tormenta Laura pic.twitter.com/BbystiB7lU
Continúan sacando escombros de la cañada del sector de Los Rios donde las aguas hicieron colapsar más de 7 viviendas por la actual #TormentaLaurapic.twitter.com/oWaUG1rlTa
Transformador de daña por las lluvias En San Rafael del Yuma, Provincia Altagracia @donfelixSPM#TormentaLaura#TormentaTropicalLaurapic.twitter.com/iXJWAWeQzz
Tracking data remains uncertain, so meteorologists have yet to determine where the would-be hurricane will make landfall in the US.
At time of writing, Laura is expected to reach the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana sometime on Wednesday or early Thursday according to current modelling, though track and intensity are subject to change over the coming days.
The NHC is warning Gulf Coast residents to expect a severe storm surge, rainfall of between five and 10 inches (15 inches maximum), and wind impacts amid an already overactive hurricane season compared to normal.
Here are the Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Laura for your Monday morning. Interests near the northwestern Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system. The latest forecast is at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB and your U.S. local weather is at https://t.co/SiZo8ohZMNpic.twitter.com/GDB2RsGd3I
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