HURRICANE LAURA

Nine months after two back-to-back hurricanes hammered their towns, scores of coastal Louisiana residents are still struggling to recover.

– As southwest Louisiana recovers from the back-to-back hurricanes that hammered the region this year, signs of progress compete with lingering evidence of mass destruction. Hurricane Laura roared ashore in southwestern Louisiana on Aug. 27 as a Category 4 storm just south of Lake Charles. According to Louisiana government figures, nearly 47,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Laura, with about 16,000 of those in need of major repairs. The bulk of those homes are in Calcasieu Parish, home to the state's fifth-largest city, Lake Charles, with 80,000 residents. A Facebook group set up after Hurricane Laura has become a lifeline for struggling residents.

Blue tarps cover houses in the aftermath of Hurricane Delta, Saturday Oct. 10, 2020, in Iowa, La. – Michele Vincent’s home was largely intact in spite of hurricanes Laura and Delta. Coastal Cameron Parish had about 9,800 residents when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. “Leave Cameron Parish and go into Calcasieu it's bad there too. They were the only red lights we had in Cameron Parish.

A 70-year-old woman in Iberia Parish died in a fire likely caused by a natural gas leak following damage from Hurricane Delta, the Louisiana Department of Health said Sunday. Clair Hebert Marceaux lost her home in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, during Hurricane Laura and said the community was hard at work on rebuilding when Delta struck. “We can’t lose our momentum,” she said, though she added there was “utter devastation” in the area. Earnestine and Milton Wesley had decided to ride out Delta in their Lake Charles home, damaged by Laura. “And with God’s help we made it.”After blowing ashore, Delta moved over Lake Charles, a city where Laura damaged nearly every home and building.

Marcus Peterson walks past a downed tree in his yard after Hurricane Delta moved through, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Jennings, La. It then moved over Lake Charles, a city where Hurricane Laura damaged nearly every home and building in late August. While Delta was a weaker storm than Category 4 Laura, it brought significantly more flooding, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. Forecasters warned that heavy rain, storm surges and flash floods continued to pose dangers in areas from Texas to Mississippi. They arrived back in Lake Charles last weekend, got a new roof on Monday and had to evacuate again Thursday.

(AP) — Hurricane Delta made landfall in southwestern Louisiana as a Category 2 storm Friday, compounding misery along a path of destruction left by Hurricane Laura only six weeks earlier. She was among a handful of evacuees at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, waiting to be transported, again, to safer destinations. I stayed during Hurricane Laura, too. Delta would also be the first Greek-alphabet-named hurricane to hit the continental U.S. And as the fourth hurricane or tropical storm to hit Louisiana in a year, it would tie a 2002 record, Klotzbach said. One, Tropical Storm Marco, fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip, and others veered elsewhere, but Tropical Storm Cristobal caused damage in southeast Louisiana in June.

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, and provided by NOAA, shows Hurricane Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. – Ripping tarps from already damaged roofs and scattering debris piled by roadsides, Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of destruction on Louisiana as it struck communities still reeling after Hurricane Laura took a similar path just six weeks earlier. Delta's reach stretched as far west as Galveston, Texas, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from where the storm struck Louisiana. Tropical Storm Marco fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip just three days before Laura struck. “The wind is much worse than what Hurricane Laura brought,” Gove said in a message on Twitter.

Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. The projected path included the southwest area of Louisiana where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall less than two months ago. Randazzo watched pieces of one of his restaurants, Panorama Music House, fly past a meteorologist’s car on a Facebook Live video during Hurricane Laura. The most recent forecast for Hurricane Delta has the storm making landfall “almost precisely” where Hurricane Laura struck — a region where homes and electrical infrastructure are still damaged, Edwards said in a radio interview. New Orleans, well to the east of the projected landfall area, was expected to escape the worst of Hurricane Delta.

The storm being watched Wednesday was Hurricane Delta, the 25th named storm of the Atlantic's unprecedented hurricane season. Forecasts placed most of Louisiana within Delta's path, with the latest National Hurricane Center estimating landfall in the state on Friday. Along with getting hit by Hurricane Laura and escaping Hurricane Sally, Louisiana saw heavy flooding June 7 from Tropical Storm Cristobal. Tropical Storm Beta prompted tropical storm warnings in mid-September as it slowly crawled up the northeast Texas coast. “Not seeing any signs of any additional tropical weather in the extended which is OK with us because we are SO DONE with Hurricane Season 2020,” they wrote.

SAN ANTONIO – After Hurricane Laura swept through Louisiana in August, a disaster response team from Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo in New Braunfels traveled down to the Alexandria Zoological Park on August 28 with a trailer full of supplies, rolled up their sleeves and started picking up the pieces. This was a coordinated effort of the Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue and Recovery team, which is made up of several zoos and wildlife facilities in Texas. After Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo’s initial assessment of the damage, other zoos were called in to help continue the clean up efforts. Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo will be announcing updates about the cleanup efforts on their Facebook page. If you would like more information on how to help zoo disaster response teams, click here.

HOUSTON – As Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast Monday, the biggest unknown was how much rainfall it could produce in areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. Rain from Beta was already coming down Monday in the Houston area. Earlier predictions of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in some areas were downgraded Monday to up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Forecasters and officials reassured residents Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas.

Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS Hurricane Laura caused significant damage at a site holding about 30% of the nations store of emergency crude oil, but three other sites still have plenty of petroleum, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said Wednesday. The damaged Strategic Petroleum Reserve site in West Hackberry, Louisiana, holds nearly 8.2 billion gallons (31 billion liters) of crude oil in 21 huge caverns deep underground. Two sites in Louisiana and two in Texas currently hold about 27.2 billion gallons (103 billion liters) of crude. The oil is held in caverns hollowed out of salt domes mountainous salt deposits that are almost entirely underground. Together, they can hold nearly 30 billion gallons (113.6 billion liters) of oil.

SAN ANTONIO – A mobile canteen truck belonging to the Salvation Army of San Antonio was involved in a rollover crash while en route to Louisiana to provide help for victims of Hurricane Laura. “Most importantly, we are thankful that our volunteers are safe,” Salvation Army Area Commander Major Carolynn Webb said. Also, the San Antonio unit had been used frequently to serve meals to individuals impacted by COVID-19. The mobile canteen truck belonging to the Salvation Army of San Antonio was involved in a rollover crash while en route to Louisiana to provide help for victims of Hurricane Laura. Courtesy: Salvation Army of San Antonio (KSAT)The canteen truck from New Braunfels has been deployed to Southeast Texas and Western Louisiana for the past couple of weeks.

San Antonio Crews continue to clean up in Lousiana and Texas after Hurricane Laura, a category 4 storm, left many places in shambles. Christy Bormann and her canine partner, Gunny, from Bexar County, were some of several members of the Texas A&M Task Force 1 team sent to help victims just minutes after the storm hit. Bormann says every hurricane response is different, but the wind damage was the worst in this storm. The Texas A&M Task Force 1 team spent nearly a week in the area helping. Bormann is a Canine Program Manager for the Texas A&M Task Force 1 team and has been with the team since 2006.

Some key takeaways of the immediate analysis of Laura's effects have emerged:IT WILL TAKE MONTHS TO KNOW EFFECTS:Scientists say some coastal impact from Hurricane Laura is inevitable. Bren Haase, who heads the states Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said the eastern Cameron shoreline got pounded pretty hard." SALINITY'S A PROBLEMAnother question is how long storm surge waters sit before eventually draining away. Laura took a slight jog to the East just before making landfall which probably prevented some of the worst storm surge from pushing all the way into Lake Charles. This might be in part because the storm blew through so quickly and the storm surge was so high that it simply rode over the marshes, rather than tearing them up.

Layla Winbush walks over the debris of her family's destroyed auto detailing business in Lake Charles, La., in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Federal and state officials are now on the ground to help residents with home repairs and hotel stays. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent hundreds of workers to the region to help with search and rescue and other efforts. Many people in Lake Charles were still staying outside town, but James Townley said he would remain in his home, as he did during the storm. They have requested help from FEMA, but Lavergne said she didn't have a checking account in which to receive federal money.

Bradley Beard calls Hurricane Laura his third strike. This is all I got.Across Cameron Parish, the coastal parish where Hurricane Laura crashed ashore early Thursday, residents dug through what was left of their belongings, covered now-stripped roofs with tarps, and took stock of the damage. Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, a shocking assessment in a state where Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. Out in western Louisiana it is the storm that came ashore a month after Katrina Hurricane Rita that evokes strong memories. Her daughters insist that they stay in Cameron Parish.

Hazardous emissions from a chlorine plant fire, abruptly shuttered oil and gas refineries and still-to-be assessed plant damage are seeping into the air after Hurricane Laura, regulators say, but some key state and federal monitors to alert the public of air dangers remain offline in Louisiana. But some Louisiana residents and environmental advocates say a shortage of solid government information on the state of the air is typical. No word of any major industrial threat other than the chlorine plant fire had emerged by three days after Laura. By Saturday, EPA contractors had left the area of the chlorine plant fire, said Langley, the Louisiana environmental spokesman. ___This story has been corrected to reflect that the name of the Louisiana environmental group is the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, not The Bucket Brigades.

LAKE CHARLES, La. President Donald Trump toured the damage from Laura in Louisiana and Texas on Saturday. It also led to fires at a chlorine plant in Westlake in the hard-hit Lake Charles area. Simply driving was a feat in Lake Charles. Nineteen babies who weathered the hurricane at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital were brought to other hospitals across around the state.

It was really, really bad instead of apocalyptic, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said. Lauren Sylvester heeded the mandatory evacuation, leaving her townhouse in Lake Charles on Wednesday to stay with her mom in New Iberia. Between the evacuation order and the storm surge projections, she didnt want to take a risk. In the end, the city got maybe half the storm surge it could have received, he said. The worst storm surge is to the east of a hurricane's eyewall because of the combination of the storm's counterclockwise whirl and northward movement.

The hospital has its own generator and hospital administrator Alesha Alford said it was built to withstand hurricane force winds. In a roughly two-hour operation the babies in the intensive care unit were transferred by ambulance to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, a ten-story facility on the northern side of the city. Two of them had their newborns with them while the child of the third mom was in the intensive care unit. To protect our babies, mattresses were pushed up against the windows to prevent flying glass although none of the windows ended up breaking. After making it through the hurricane, the plan was to have the babies stay in Lake Charles.

ORANGE COUNTY, Texas A long line of cars is gathered in Orange County, Texas for a food drive put on by H-E-B Mobile Kitchen for Hurricane Laura victims. The event was held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, by H-E-B officials at the corner of MacArthur Drive and 28th Street. H-E-B Mobile Kitchen Efforts Our Mobile Kitchen is on the move to bring food and supplies to communities in southeast Texas! At the Mobile Kitchen staging location, H-E-B Partners, wearing gloves and masks, will provide contactless service by loading meals and supplies into vehicles. Learn more: https://newsroom.heb.com/h-e-b-deploys-mobile-kitchen-to-se-texas-sends-aid-to-louisiana-food-banks/ Posted by H-E-B on Friday, August 28, 2020H-E-B staff will be on site throughout the coming days to pass out water, ice, and hot meals to hurricane victims.

NEW ORLEANS As people in western Louisiana continue to dig out from Hurricane Laura, residents of eastern Louisiana and Mississippi marked the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Saturday. In New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and other officials held a ceremony at 8:29 a.m. the moment the devastating storm made landfall. Cantrell laid a wreath at the city's Katrina memorial where the remains of unclaimed or unidentified victims of the storm were laid to rest. As we reflect on this anniversary, please know that together we have proven our strength and ability to overcome, Cantrell said. The failure of the levees surrounding the city allowed water to pour into New Orleans and eventually submerged 80% of the city.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Hundreds of charter bus drivers who shuttled people from hurricane danger zones to the safety of San Antonio are on the road again. Drivers traveled from all over the country to help usher evacuees to safety in San Antonio. We’re just moving people to safety,” said Frank Stevens, a driver who lives in El Dorado, AR. ”I’m originally from New Orleans and we have hurricane parties,” he joked, when asked if he was concerned about his own safety. Taranza Curry also left the safety of his home in Dallas to make sure other people were out of harm’s way.

Flooding surrounds a damaged building and boat Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, in Cameron, La., after Hurricane Laura moved through the area Thursday. Simply driving in Lake Charles, a city of 80,000 residents that sustained some of the worst damage, was a feat. "If you come back to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks, Hunter wrote on Facebook. In the storm's wake, more than 600,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. Ira Lyles returned to find that his downtown Lake Charles salon called The Parlor House survived with little damage, but his home was destroyed.

HEMPHILL, Texas Texas recorded four deaths Friday linked to Hurricane Laura, which roared ashore along the Louisiana border the day before. Sabine County Emergency Management Coordinator Kerwin Lloyd identified the first death as David Murrell, 54, in East Texas. Jefferson County Precinct 7 Justice of the Peace Brad Burnett said the seven were found inside the Bida-Vinh game room in Port Arthur on Friday morning. One was 60, the other was 53, and both were from Port Arthur. At least two Port Arthur police officers also required hospital treatment for a dangerous level of carbon monoxide exposure, Burnett said.

SAN ANTONIO San Antonians are lending a helping hand to Hurricane Laura evacuees. Hundreds of care bags containing food, masks, hand sanitizer, toiletries and a $25 gift card were donated to evacuees in the area, just two days after the storm hit. The drive-thru donation event was held Friday morning at the Blessed Angels Community Center on the North Side. CEO and Executive Director Marion Thomas said when she heard the evacuees were seeking shelter in San Antonio, she knew she wanted to help. Read also:Man killed by tree is first Texas death blamed on LauraFollow KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne as he reports from the Texas Coast ahead of Hurricane LauraThere are more than 4,000 hurricane evacuees in San Antonio, SAFD says

There is a collective sigh of relief across the county, Orange County Judge John Gothia said. Its like we cant catch a break, said Maureen McAllister, president of the United Way of Orange County. Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas TribuneTodd Thomas, a 47-year-old engineer, drove his 73-year-old mother to his sister in Beaumont. Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune"Now with the virus it's just a lot more complicated," he said. Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune A broken traffic light hangs to the street after Hurricane Laura's wind blew through Orange.

BEAUMONT, Texas – A two-man team in a canteen truck is heading to Beaumont, Texas to assist in the Hurricane Laura aftermath. The team was deployed through the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Texas Division in New Braunfels. Officials said the team will serve food to first responders and residents impacted by the storm. Read also:Videos, photos show Hurricane Laura hitting Gulf Coast, damageAerial footage shows damage over Texas, Louisiana following Hurricane LauraGov. Greg Abbott surveys Hurricane Laura damage, calls no widespread deaths ‘miracle’

Greg Abbott surveys storm damage from Hurricane LauraPublished: August 27, 2020, 3:49 pmTexas Gov. Greg Abbott delivered an update on the state’s response to Hurricane Laura after surveying damage due to the storm, which made landfall early Thursday.

The hurricane made landfall early Thursday near Cameron on the southwest Louisiana coast. “Healthy” gasoline stock levels should should also help offset immediate spikes in fuel prices. The statewide average is $1.92 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel, which is five cents more than a week ago, AAA says. Odessa drivers pay the most in the state at $2.12 per gallon of regular unleaded fuel. Laura blasts Louisiana coast with wind and wall of seawater

KSAT Meteorologist provides update of Hurricane Laura aftermath at noon ThursdayPublished: August 27, 2020, 12:19 pmKSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne is currently in Orange along the Sabine River that separates Texas and Louisiana, just west of where the hurricane made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura made landfall close to 1 a.m. Thursday near Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne is currently in Orange along the Sabine River that separates Texas and Louisiana, just west of where the hurricane made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana. KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne surveys aftermath of Hurricane LauraJustin Horne provides update on Hurricane Laura damage at 6:30 a.m. ThursdayWATCH: Meteorologist Justin Horne has a scare with electricity while reporting on Hurricane LauraYou can follow along with Your Weather Authority as we continue to track Laura by downloading the KSAT Weather Authority app for Apple or Android. Our KSAT Hurricane Tracker app also allows you to monitor the tropics from your phone during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs until November 30. Here are the latest updates from the KSAT Weather Authority team on Twitter.

But regardless where you’re located or what types of weather your region regularly experiences, it’s always best to remain vigilant. When it comes to hurricanes and big storms, there’s always so much talk about how to prepare the insides of our homes. Therefore, it’s always better to err on the side of caution, he added. “There’s nothing wrong with being too careful.”So, the next time a big storm’s coming to town, walk around the exterior of your house, your property or your yard. You could even turn this into a project, moving just a few belongings a day, leading up to the storm.

Hours after Hurricane Laura made landfall in a stretch of Louisiana near the Texas state line, first responders and rescue crews are surveying the damage brought on by the Category 4 storm. View aerial footage of damage spanning from Port Arthur, Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana in the video player above. The storm made landfall close to 1 a.m. Thursday near Cameron, Louisiana, and it has now weakened to a Category 2 storm as it moves into inland Louisiana. Power companies are reporting that nearly 470,000 homes and businesses are without electricity in Louisiana and Texas. Stick with KSAT 12 News on-air and online for the latest updates.

Debris surround damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, near Lake Charles, La. Videos on social media show heavy winds and rain battering a tall building in Lake Charles, Louisiana, blowing out windows and littering glass and debris into the air and onto the ground as Hurricane Laura moves over southwestern Louisiana. WATCH: Video shows part of roof blowing off Golden Nugget Casino as Hurricane Laura makes landfallOther videos from the area show road signs bending, trees shaking violently and a large recreational vehicle being blown over. Laura has weakened into a Category 2 hurricane as it moves deeper inland over Louisiana. Laura has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane as it moves deeper into LouisianaWATCH: Aerial footage shows damage over Louisiana following Hurricane Laura

Follow Meteorologist Justin Horne and Photojournalist Bill Caldera as they follow Hurricane Laura along the coast. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Watch as Hurricane Laura makes landfall in Louisiana. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Latasha Myles and Howard Anderson stand in their living room where they were sitting when the roof blew off around 2:30 a.m. as Hurricane Laura passed through the area in Lake Charles, Louisiana. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

WATCH: Meteorologist Justin Horne provides updates before Hurricane Laura’s landfall on Texas-Louisiana coastIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

WATCH: Meteorologist Justin Horne provides update before Hurricane Laura makes landfallIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Thousands evacuated Louisiana and parts of Texas coastal regions as Category 4 Hurricane Laura set its sights on the area. A room that had its roof blown off is seen in a hotel after Hurricane Laura passed through the area in Lake Charles, Louisiana . (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura in Sabine Pass, Texas. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Laura passed through Lake Charles, Louisiana. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)

Power companies are reporting that nearly 470,000 homes and businesses were without electricity early Thursday in Louisiana and Texas following the landfall of Hurricane Laura. PowerOutage.US, which tracks utility reports, is reporting the Texas counties of Orange and Jefferson and several Lousiana counties in the path of the now-Category 2 storm are experiencing thousands of outages. New Orleans-based Entergy said shortly before the storm struck that the hardest-hit areas may experience outages for weeks. Laura has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane as it moves deeper into LouisianaThe company says it has crews coming from 20 states to help, including some from as far away as Wisconsin and Virginia. Stick with KSAT 12 News on-air and online for the latest updates.

A sign in Galveston as Hurricane Laura approached. Credit: Julio-Cesar Chavez/REUTERSThursday's biggest developments:Hurricane Laura downgraded to Category 2Hurricane Laura downgraded to Category 2[7:12 a.m.] After battering the Gulf Coast shortly after midnight Thursday, Hurricane Laura has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it moves northeast through the Texas-Louisiana border. Cassi Pollock, Matthew Watkins and Brandon FormbyHurricane Laura intensifies and is close to becoming Category 5 hurricane[8:27 p.m., Wednesday] As Hurricane Laura barreled toward the Gulf Coast on Wednesday night, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storms maximum sustained winds had reached 150 mph just 7 mph short of becoming a Category 5 hurricane. The storm is expected to bring "catastrophic" storm surge, winds and flash flooding. The storm, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to hit land just east of the Texas-Louisiana border by Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Texas Hurricane Laura made landfall at close to 1 a.m. Thursday morning near Cameron, Louisiana as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and gusts up to 185 mph. The National Hurricane Center said a catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding continues in portions of Louisiana. Get the detailed forecast from KSATs weather team here. Due to the intensity of the storm, many webcams in the coastal region of Louisiana are down, however, there are a few cameras in New Orleans that are still operational. Related: View an interactive map that shows major hurricanes, tropical storms that hit Texas from 2001-2020You can keep an eye on the Louisiana coast with the following beach cams in the area:For full weather coverage from the KSAT meteorologists, including a hurricane tracker, click here.

SAN ANTONIO The Salvation Army announced on Wednesday that staff members and volunteers from San Antonio would be heading to Southeast Texas, prepared to help people affected by Hurricane Laura. According to the organization, San Antonio is one of five additional Texas sites that have prepared trucks for standby should additional support be needed. Director of the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services in Texas Alvin Migues said deployed staffers and volunteers have the experience to face the natural disaster head-on. The Incident Command Team members provide leadership in all areas of disaster response including safety, operations, logistics, finance, planning and communication, Migues said. We have established protocols specifically to address responding to disaster during the current pandemic, Migues said.

Greg Abbott delivered an update on the states response to Hurricane Laura after surveying damage due to the storm, which made landfall early Thursday. He spoke Thursday from Orange, Texas, a city just west of where the hurricane hit near Cameron, Louisiana. Videos, photos show Hurricane Laura hitting Gulf Coast, damageThe hurricane made landfall as a Category 4 storm, blasting a stretch of the Gulf Coast from Port Arthur to Lake Charles, Louisiana. There are more than 4,000 hurricane evacuees in San Antonio, SAFD saysAbbott told Good Morning America that Hurricane Laura is moving in unprecedented fashion through the East Texas cities. So in Northeast Texas, a hurricane is going through there for, as far as I know, the first time ever, he said.

Several Texas and Louisiana state parks remain closed in the wake of Hurricane Laura which made landfall Thursday morning. According to officials with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, state parks along the Texas coast and Louisiana border were closed Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Lauras arrival. Several state parks in Louisiana were also closed this week due to Hurricane Laura. pic.twitter.com/pOXHLZNhzt Texas Game Warden (@TexasGameWarden) August 27, 2020The Texas parks that are currently closed due to Hurricane Laura are:Atlanta State ParkBattleship Texas State Historic SiteBrazos Bend State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkGalveston Island State ParkLake Livingston State ParkMartin Creek Lake State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkSea Rim State ParkSheldon Lake State ParkVillage Creek State ParkFor a full list of state park closures and updates on openings, click here. The Louisiana state parks Instagram page earlier this week announced the closure of:Bistineau State ParkCypremort Point State ParkFairview-Riverside State ParkGrand Isle State ParkNorth Toledo Bend State ParkPalmetto Island State ParkSt. Bernard State ParkSam Houston Jones State ParkSouth Toledo Bend State ParkHurricane Laura made landfall at close to 1 a.m. Thursday morning near Cameron, Louisiana as an extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and gusts up to 185 mph.

A fire at a chemical plant, BioLab Inc., that handles chlorine for swimming pools burns on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Westlake, La., in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. A fire at a Louisiana chlorine plant erupted with thick, billowing smoke Thursday after Hurricane Laura plowed through part of the country's petrochemical corridor with storm surges and fierce wind, forcing residents around the plant to shelter in their homes. In the Lake Charles area, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality workers with hand-held monitors did not immediately detect chlorine releases from the fire at the BioLab plant, agency spokesman Greg Langley said. BioLabs corporate parent said the plant had been shut down and evacuated ahead of the storm, and no plant employees were injured. State environmental officials planned to survey the entire storm area from the air to look for signs of any other industry fires or leaks, Langley said.

Republicans decided the show must go on and, for the most part, television networks followed. The convention is taking place in the shadow of huge stories that are happening right now, CNN's Anderson Cooper said. Networks, after giving extensive coverage to the Democrats last week, are cognizant of being fair to the Republicans. The president has been showing up every night, the president could talk about it. But former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, also a CNN contributor, said Republicans were there to try and reelect President Trump and that has to continue to remain their focus.

Hundreds of Hurricane Laura evacuees wait in their cars as they line up for hotel vouchers at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Credit: Bronte Wittpenn/American-Statesman via USA TODAY NETWORKGet the latest updates on Hurricane Laura here. Hurricane Laura almost strengthened into a Category 5 storm Wednesday as it neared the Gulf Coast and threatened "catastrophic" devastation from storm surge and wind damage on both sides of the Texas-Louisiana border. The storm, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall after midnight Thursday. Hurricane Laura is also expected to cause flooding and damage from storm surge, which pushes water from the coast inland.

Bexar County and San Antonio firefighters were called to assist in the Hurricane Laura relief efforts shortly after the storm. Local emergency crews arrived in Beaumont, Texas on Thursday morning. Several teams from the Bexar County Emergency Services District and the San Antonio Fire Department are helping in the recovery efforts in areas hit by the storm. Read also:Videos, photos show Hurricane Laura hitting Gulf Coast, damageAerial footage shows damage over Texas, Louisiana following Hurricane LauraGov. Greg Abbott surveys Hurricane Laura damage, calls no widespread deaths miracle

San Antonio It was only a matter of hours before the Grand Hyatt in downtown San Antonio switched from a closed hotel to accepting the largest number of evacuees from Hurricane Laura on Wednesday. A scramble would be an understatement, Grand Hyatt Area Vice-President and general manager Philip Stamm said of the turnaround. The Grand Hyatt suspended operations at the end of March, beginning of April amid the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Stamm said. The city called hotel officials on Wednesday to see if the Grand Hyatt may be able to open up a little sooner. They were lodged in more than 1,800 hotel rooms in eight hotels.

SAN ANTONIO – Fleeing the path of Hurricane Laura, evacuees from the Texas and Louisiana continued to pour into San Antonio Wednesday. WATCH: More than 2,000 evacuees in San Antonio hotels; VIA joins relief efforts by bussing people from shelters to hotelsUnlike a typical hurricane evacuation, evacuees are being set up in free hotel rooms rather than mass shelters to avoid the spread of COVID-19 that could come with congregate settings like that. While about that many came on buses, which they could track, another 1,100 or so came in their own cars, said San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Joe Arrington. Arrington said while the city can track how many people are coming in on buses, there’s no way to account for how many families will choose to come to San Antonio instead of another city. Evacuees arriving in San Antonio have to pass through the processing center at 200 Gambler Road before being assigned a hotel room.

If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Copyright © 2020 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Copyright © 2020 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

GALVESTON, Texas – Mandatory and voluntary evacuations have been ordered for several Texas cities and counties ahead of Hurricane Laura. Get the latest tracking on Hurricane Laura here from the KSAT meteorologists, Your Weather Authority. San Antonio is helping out those that may be impacted by the storm. According to the San Antonio Fire Department, 1,458 evacuees have arrived at the city’s evacuation center since it opened at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. San Pedro Manor, a nursing home facility near San Antonio College, also received 57 evacuees from a sister nursing home in Galveston early Tuesday morning.

KSAT Meteorologist Adam Caskey at 8 p.m. will discuss Hurricane Laura’s projected landfall and impacts on Texas. Find more information about the hurricane with the latest forecast or follow KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne as he reports from the Texas Coast. Stay InformedYou can follow along with Your Weather Authority as we continue to track both Marco and Laura by downloading the KSAT Weather Authority app for Apple or Android. Be sure to allow notifications for updates, including livestreams from KSAT meteorologists. Our KSAT Hurricane Tracker app also allows you to monitor the tropics from your phone during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs until November 30.

For more info on the storm download the KSAT Weather AppIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

GALVESTON, Texas Forecasters Hurricane Laura is now expected to rapidly power up into a 'catastrophic' Category 4 hurricane an even stronger storm than previously expected as it churns toward Texas and Louisiana, gathering wind and water that now covers much of the Gulf of Mexico. Satellite images show that Laura has become a formidable hurricane" in recent hours, threatening to smash homes and sink entire communities. It has undergone a remarkable intensification, and there are no signs it will stop soon, with shear remaining low-to-moderate over the deep warm waters of the central Gulf of Mexico," the National Hurricane Center said in a briefing early Wednesday. Lauras maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph (175 kph) with higher gusts, forecasters said early Wednesday. Homes and businesses will be damaged," said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is near the bullseye of Laura's forecast track.

SAN ANTONIO Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday will give an update on the states response to areas impacted by Hurricane Laura, now a Category 3 storm. Hurricane Laura sets sights on Texas/Louisiana coastThe hurricane intensified into a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning, but it could rapidly strengthen into at least a Category 4 storm, according to KSAT meteorologists. Meanwhile, San Antonio is expected to remain on the dry side of the storm. San Antonio is among the Texas cities that have opened up evacuation sites.

Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall sometime late Wednesday into Thursday morning. San Antonio is helping out those that may be impacted by Hurricane Laura. Greg Abbott is scheduled to give an update on Hurricane Laura response at noon. LIVE RADAR:You can follow along with Your Weather Authority as we continue to track Laura by downloading the KSAT Weather Authority app for Apple or Android. Our KSAT Hurricane Tracker app also allows you to monitor the tropics from your phone during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs until November 30.

SAN ANTONIO The states tally of Texans hospitalized due to COVID-19 dropped below 5,000 for the first time since June. During that month, the Texas Department of State Health reported hospitalizations had surpassed 10,000. 124 new COVID-19 cases in San Antonio, Bexar CountyMore than 385,000 residents were told to flee Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur, and more than 1,450 evacuees have arrived in San Antonio. The state and local governments are fully aware that theyre dealing with a pandemic while theyre responding to Hurricane Laura, Gov. Greg Abbott adds 36 counties to disaster declaration ahead of Hurricane Laura

Greg Abbott is expected at noon Central Time to give an update on the states response to Hurricane Laura, which is expected to be a Category 4 hurricane and could strike part of southeast Texas Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Dangerous storm surge and wind damage is expected. Several cities and counties across the Gulf Coast have issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders ahead of the hurricane's approach. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast during a pandemic, local and state officials are looking to house evacuees in government-paid hotel rooms instead of large, often clustered emergency shelters, but there have already been capacity issues.

The Latest on Hurricane Laura (all times local):GALVESTON, Texas The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Laura has become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane packing 140 mph winds, clocked by an Air Force hurricane hunter airplane flying into the storm. Tropical storm winds reached the coast of Louisiana Wednesday afternoon. Forecasters expect up to 20 feet (6 meters) of storm surge. -GALVESTON, Texas Texas Gov. Abbott said storm surge was going to be a big problem and it was expected to rise 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) in the Jefferson County area.

A Galveston resident boards up a home on Broadway Street, hours before Hurricane Laura is set to make landfall. Credit: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters CoWhat you need to know:Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday morning. Due to the coronavirus, state officials are looking to house evacuees in hotels rather than crowded shelters. According to an advisory, tropical storm force winds are expected to reach the coast of Southeast Texas on Wednesday evening. Dan Patrick will not attend Trump's RNC speech[1:50 p.m.] With Hurricane Laura heading for the Louisiana and Texas coasts, Lt. Gov.

Victoria Nelson with her children Autum Nelson, 2, Shawn Nelson, 7, and Asia Nelson, 6, line up to board a bus to evacuate Lake Charles, La., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Laura. Laura strengthened Wednesday into a menacing Category 4 hurricane, raising fears of a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be "unsurvivable and capable of sinking entire communities. Authorities implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate and worried that not enough had fled. Storm surge warnings were in effect from Freeport, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters said storm surge topped by waves could submerge entire towns.

Oil and gas producers have evacuated platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and companies are shutting down refineries in the storm's path. At the same time, OPEC was flooding the market with crude, aiming with success to put American oil producers out of business. OFF-SHORE PLATFORMSNearly half of the oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico almost 300 were evacuated by Wednesday, along with most of the offshore rigs. Producers shut in 84% of the oil produced in the region, taking about 1.6 million barrels per day off the market. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey stalled over Houston, dumping so much rain that flooding knocked out nearly a quarter of the nations refining capacity.

SAN ANTONIO With Hurricane Laura looking to make landfall sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning, were taking a look back at some of the bigger storms to hit the Lone Star state, starting with Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Hurricane Rita in 2005 was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record for the Gulf of Mexico and caused $4.7 billion in damage. That number pales in comparison, however to Hurricane Harvey which had an estimated impact of $125 billion reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which estimates the total approximate cost of damages from weather and climate disasters from the U.S. from 1980 to 2019 to be $1.75 trillion. An interactive story map below allows you to click through locations where hurricanes and tropical storms have made landfall. Related headlines:

SAN ANTONIO As Hurricane Laura continues to gain strength, the American Red Cross needs all the help they can get in aiding their relief efforts on the Gulf Coast with volunteers and funds. This Friday, Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., KSAT Community is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a Hurricane Laura Relief Phone Bank. Please call 855-678-4483(GIVE) during the phone bank if you would like to make a monetary donation. {Related: American Red Cross seeks volunteers for disaster relief]To make a donation online for the Red Cross, click here. KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.

In Louisiana, more than 800 residents in 11 nursing homes were also evacuated, according to the state health department. Ron Payne, CEO of Southwest LTC, which runs nursing homes across Texas, has been through multiple storm evacuations over the years. Hurricane Laura is due to hit Texas as its long-term care homes have already been on edge in an unprecedented lockdown to try and keep further virus outbreaks from arising. Just when you think it couldnt get worse, theres this, said Kevin Warren of the Texas Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living facilities. On Wednesday night, as Hurricane Laura neared, she and other staff members will hunker down in the home, grabbing naps in empty rooms.

Greg Abbott said the state had 200,000 hotel rooms for evacuees. Her home took on water during Hurricane Rita, which ravaged the Gulf Coast just days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Leaders in both Texas and Louisiana urged residents to flee in the final hours before landfall made it too dangerous to travel. Kidd said the convention center in Austin might be opened to temporarily house evacuees while more hotel rooms are set up for residents. He said hotel rooms are being reserved for evacuees in some nearby counties.

The Atlantic is increasingly spawning more major hurricanes, according to an Associated Press analysis of NOAA hurricane data since 1950. The Atlantic now averages three major hurricanes a year, based on a 30-year running average. A study by Kossin found that, once a storm formed, the chances of its attaining major storm status globally increased by 8% a decade since 1979. Such a busy period started in 1995 and might end soon as northern Atlantic waters shift to a cooler regime, he said. In addition, he said: Climate change will be a bigger driver of losses in the future.___Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at www.twitter.com/borenbears.

GALVESTON, Texas Not only are people preparing for Hurricane Laura in Texas, law enforcement officials closed the High Island Bridge in Galveston County, Texas, in order to allow ranchers to move cattle to higher ground in preparation for the storm. Ranchers on horseback and in pickup trucks moved a herd of nearly 1100 livestock to a location near the town of Winnie, Texas, about 52 miles north of Galveston. Hurricane Laura sets sights on Texas/Louisiana coastForecasters say Hurricane Laura is rapidly intensifying and will become a "catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane before landfall. It's churning toward Texas and Louisiana, gathering wind and water that swirls over much of the Gulf of Mexico. Follow KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne as he reports from the Texas Coast ahead of Hurricane Laura

Port Arthur residents board buses to evacuate the area before Hurricane Laura strikes the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas. Almost three years after hurricane Harvey damaged their homes and their belongings, masked volunteers in bright colored t-shirts brought new beds, chests and nightstands to their doorsteps. According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Laura continues to strengthen and is expected to become an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane. At a noon press conference Wednesday, Gov. The report from the National Hurricane Center forecasts a storm surge of between 10 and 15 feet around the Jefferson County area. On Friday, I went to a house that we had fixed [after Hurricane Harvey]," he said.

The mayor of Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation of the city Tuesday morning after Tropical Storm Laura strengthened into a hurricane and its path shifted westward, increasing the chances that it could strike the Houston area. Galveston residents have until Wednesday morning to evacuate, but city services will be suspended Tuesday at noon, according to a city Facebook post. Voluntary evacuation orders are in place for Chambers County, Galveston County and the City of Seabrook. Laura is bearing down as the coronavirus pandemic remains a major concern in Texas, especially in cities like Houston. Laura could become the second significant storm to impact Texas during the 2020 hurricane season.

GALVESTON, Texas – A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for the city of Galveston ahead of Hurricane Laura. Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown signed a mandatory evacuation Tuesday which instructs residents to leave the island and suspends city services at noon on Tuesday. Watch beach cams in Galveston as Hurricane Laura approaches“Overnight models shifted the landfall of Hurricane Laura westward,” according to the evacuation order from the city. Hurricane Laura “is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday to early Thursday as a Category 3 Major Hurricane. Those who do not follow the evacuation order should not expect public safety services once conditions worsen, city leaders said.

Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall this week sometime late Wednesday into Thursday morning. The latest on Hurricane LauraAs of Tuesday morning, Laura has reached Category 1 hurricane status with sustained winds of 75 mph. The latest stats on Hurricane Laura as of Tuesday morning (8/25) (Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved.) As for those of us around San Antonio, well stay on the dry side of Hurricane Laura. Our KSAT Hurricane Tracker app also allows you to monitor the tropics from your phone during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs until November 30.

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio is helping out those that may be impacted by Hurricane Laura. San Pedro Manor, a nursing home facility near San Antonio College, received 57 evacuees from a sister nursing home in Galveston early Tuesday morning. The staff said San Pedro Manor can accommodate 125 residents and with the evacuees there will now be a total of 123 residents. An administrator with San Pedro Manor, Andy Dalbergo, said that this was part an evacuation order from the city of Galveston. He said all residents at San Pedro Manor and the evacuees have been tested for COVID-19 and there were no positive cases.

Greg Abbott will provide an update on the states response to Hurricane Laura and Tropical Storm Marco at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The press conference will be livestreamed in this article. Although Marco has already made landfall in Louisiana, Hurricane Laura has a bigger chance to threaten the Texas coast. Hurricane Laura is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday to early Thursday as a Category 3 Major Hurricane. The landfall is anticipated near the Texas/Louisiana border, according to the latest National Weather Service models, the order states.

SAN ANTONIO The American Red Cross is stepping in to help with recovery efforts for tropical storm Marco and Hurrican Laura along the coast. Currently, the Red Cross is looking for at least 160 volunteers to assist in disaster relief efforts. Depending on your volunteer position with the Red Cross, and the proper training administered by the Red Cross, volunteers will help provide a safe, welcoming place for people fleeing disaster and provide care and attention to the health needs of sheltered clients, said Michael Vela, executive director of the American Red Cross Greater San Antonio chapter. To volunteer with the American Red Cross, click here. KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.

Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall near the Texas, Louisiana border sometime late Wednesday into Thursday morning. For reference, Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane, and decimated the Lousiana coast. Take a look back at some of the hurricanes and tropical storms that have hit Texas since Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. You can keep an eye on the Galveston area with the following beach cams in the area:For full weather coverage from the KSAT meteorologists, including a hurricane tracker, click here. Download the KSAT Weather app for iPhone and Android