Hurricane Laura

Although a category 4 hurricane when it crossed over to land from the sea, Hurricane Laura decreased in intensity to a category 2 storm as it moved inwards with air currents gathering a momentum of up to 150 mph, marking a trajectory from Louisiana to Arkansas.

Many iconic buildings, for instance, parts of the roof at the Golden Nugget casino in Louisiana, suffered colossal damages.

Regions in southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas were expected to be impacted by rising sea levels caused by Hurricane Laura’s movement inland. Many places were bracing themselves for severe damage. The situation was further complicated when in some localities, the majority of residents didn’t pay heed to officially broadcast evacuation orders.

Interruptions to power supply were quick to follow that impacted nearly a million households, mostly in Louisiana, followed by Texas.

The National Hurricane Center was able to predict the location of Hurricane Laura’s landfall with tremendous precision, identifying the exact spot where it would cross over to land. The number of warnings issued by the National Weather Service weren’t as many and frequent as expected but Hurricane Laura continued to be a major threat with maximum wind speeds of 120 mph.

Meanwhile, citizens were waiting anxiously for the National Hurricane Center’s forecast advisory as weather experts predicted that after crossing Arkansas, Hurricane Laura would move east through parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia before falling into the Atlantic Sea. Mitigation efforts were underway as heavy rainfall, isolated tornadoes and flash floods were forecast despite Hurricane Laura eventually fizzling out into a 70 mph tropical storm.

Hurricane Laura in Louisiana

Louisiana was the most severely affected state although it’s still early to confirm the extent of damage done. Responding to the situation wasn’t easy given the ongoing pandemic situation. Helicopters couldn’t be made use of due to the intense air currents but thousands of rescue staff had already been deployed to the storm hit areas.

Hurricane Laura in Texas

The impact in Texas was relatively less as official authorities proactively issued evacuation orders well in advance and the local citizens were quick to leave the area. This in turn made it easier for local crews to clear the roads of debris, rubble, uprooted trees, poles and other infrastructural installations, before the evacuation order could be lifted. However, parts in the north east of the state were on high alert as the region was still exposed to the wrath of the storm with numerous trees being uprooted and extensive damage to infrastructure.  On the other hand, cities such as Houston were left unscathed by the storm.

The state was also well prepared as emergency teams earlier had to respond to another storm, Hurricane Hanna, barely two months ago in July, during which rescue officials were able to put into practice many new approaches that they had been experimenting with. For instance, people were shifted to hotels instead of convention centers, as a precautionary measure, so that families could stay together. Both state and federal authorities requested local citizens in all affected regions to cooperate by following the precautionary measures against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask and using hand sanitizers, so that response efforts to contain the virus didn’t get compromised because of Hurricane Laura. Citizens were urged to stay tuned to the latest updates and instructions from official sources such as FEMA and Homeland Security.

Rescue teams have been busy scouting affected regions such as Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange in search of stranded people in need of help given the high levels of water logging.

Fatalities

Hurricane Laura claimed the lives of six individuals in Louisiana, one each in Acadia, Jackson and Vernon parish, two in the Calcasieu parish, and one in Allen. In some parishes such as Beauregard, the Sheriff’s office was receiving an exorbitant number of emergency calls from citizens, making it difficult for staff members to prioritize and attend to all of them. The office even went so far as to request citizens to call only in extreme cases when it was absolutely necessary so that staff members could do justice to all incoming calls.

Shelters and hotels were made available for residents of Texas and Louisiana. They were further assisted by American Red Cross volunteers with additional supplies such as blankets, cots and PPEs. Hundreds of volunteers have been involved in the response effort, both on the field and through remote access.

Water Supply Disruption in Lake Charles

Broken pipelines, fallen trees and infrastructural damage led to extensive water supply disruption in and around the Lake Charles area. While some lines were still up and running, it was still insufficient to meet the needs of all the inhabitants in the locality.

Chemical Spill at a Manufacturing Facility

A fire broke out at a manufacturing facility near Lake Charles, Louisiana, that was being fueled by harmful chemicals. People living in the vicinity had been alerted to stay protected, switch off their air cooling systems and await further instructions. The cause originated due to chlorine seeping out of faulty equipment in the BioLab chemicals production unit in Westlake, Louisiana. The state’s emergency services unit (ESU) had immediately taken control of the situation and were working closely with the facility to contain the accident while people in the area were requested to strictly adhere to emergency protocols.

American Airlines Flights Impacted

Hurricane Laura has impacted American Airlines’ operations in more than ten airports in the region. Details regarding cancellation, change of schedule, refunds and more have been published on the airline company’s website.

President to Visit the Gulf Coast

In light of the devastating impact Hurricane Laura has wreaked on states like Louisiana and Arkansas, the American president, Donald Trump, who was considering postponing his address at the Republican National Convention because of the storm, has stated that he will visit the Gulf Coast to gain a better understanding of the aftermath of the environmental hazard.

Carbon Monoxide Warning

Given the widespread disruption to electricity, many households have resorted to the use of gasoline, propane and charcoal for domestic purposes which could create a surge in carbon monoxide emissions in the storm affected regions and lead to health hazards among citizens. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that officially warned citizens of this possibility also alerted medical practitioners in the region to keep a close watch for carbon monoxide induced health issues among citizens in the area and to make arrangements for the corresponding testing and treatment procedures. Infants, expecting mothers, senior citizens and those with health conditions should be given additional protection as they were particularly vulnerable to this hazard.