Hurricane Laura could be 'catastrophic' -NHC
Hurricane Laura was expected to rapidly strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday (August 26) on a steady track to hit the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast after dark, causing catastrophic damage, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm, already a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale for measuring hurricane intensity, was about 235 miles (375 km) southeast of Galveston, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles (205 km) per hour, the Miami-based forecaster said. Category 4 hurricanes can pack winds of up to 156 miles (250 km) per hour.
