Early Friday morning, Laura crossed Arkansas and headed toward southeast Missouri as a tropical depression with winds of 35mph. In preparation for the storm, Arkansas deployed search and rescue teams along with members of the National Guard to help.
All day long, the storm will drive across Kentucky and continue east until it passes New Jersey and Delaware off the coast Saturday night.
Laura expects to dump up to 6 inches of rain over central and northern Arkansas on Friday, while parts of southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri can see isolated rain totals of up to 5 inches.
The rain could likely lead to flash floods along streams, roads and urban areas and to moderate river flooding in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, the National Hurricane Center said.
Parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi had the highest risk of tornadoes on Friday, while that risk shifted to Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and parts of Pennsylvania on Saturday.
‘Like a week from a bad science fiction novel’
Laura lay near Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday morning as a Category 4 hurricane, picking up winds of about 150 mph. Areas along the coast were ravaged by strong winds and an unforgettable storm surge that had overloaded waste for several weeks.
At least six deaths were reported across the state after the storm. Four died after trees fell: a 14-year-old girl in Vernon Parish; a 51-year-old man in Jackson Parish; a 60-year-old man in Parish Acadia; and a 64-year-old man in Allen Parish, authorities have said.
Two died in the parish of Calcasieu: A 24-year-old man and another man of age were not disclosed by the health care department.
Aquatic plants were damaged, the mayor said, and there was “barely any water from most of the taps” over homes in Lakes Charles, along with widespread power outages.
“When you return to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are willing to live many days, probably weeks, in it,” the mayor wrote. “‘Look and Leave’ is truly the best option for many.”
‘I’ve never seen this kind of damage’
Throughout the state, many who evacuate prior to the storm are afraid of what they may find when they return to their homes. The storm hit communities, damaged roofs and walls, ripped street signs off the ground, cut down trees and bent lampposts.
In Lafayette, Louisiana, Brandon Montgomery’s home was spared flooding and wind damage Thursday. But his neighbor was not so lucky: at least a foot of water flooded her house.
Flooding in her neighborhood began overnight Thursday and by Thursday morning the water had risen to about 3 feet high.
In downtown Lake Charles, two residents told WVUE they could not find a single person to talk to in the midst of the devastation.
“I have never seen this kind of damage,” said one resident. City footage shows store signs on the floor, broken windows, destroyed tents and rubble across the roads.
“There’s a lot of damage. People will need a lot of help here,” said Paul Heard, who was in Lake Charles when the storm hit. Heard says he left his house and hid in his car just as the storm drew parts of the roof early Thursday.
When he looked 25 feet away, he could “see that my roof was several inches up and down,” he told CNN.
Rob Shackelford, Jason Hanna, Madeline Holcombe and Theresa Waldrop, Joe Sutton and Kelsie Smith of CNN contributed to this report.
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