President Trump will visit the Gulf Coast this weekend to tour damage from one of the fiercest hurricanes to hit the United States, per the AP. Trump said he would visit Texas and Louisiana on Saturday or Sunday to survey the destruction caused by Laura, which Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said has killed at least four people. More:
- The bulk of the damage was reported in Louisiana. The storm barreled over Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. Extensive property damage has been reported; a floating casino that came unmoored hit a bridge.
- Laura has weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of nearly 70mph. Earlier, its top wind speed of 150mph put it among the most powerful on record in the US.
- The deaths were all caused by trees falling on residences. None were on the coast, but rather in in Vernon, Jackson, and Acadia parishes. Jackson is in north Louisiana, demonstrating the power of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Thursday.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says his state appeared to have made it through Hurricane Laura with minimal or no loss of life, which he said was a “miracle.” Abbott on Thursday described seeing roofs sheared off buildings and uprooted trees following an aerial tour of the damage near the state border with Louisiana. The storm surge that was predicted to be as high as 10 feet before landfall wound up being closer to 3 feet, he said.
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