>>>
>>> NOW
>>> NOW ON H TOWN RUSH, BLISTERING RAIN AND WHISTLING
WIND, HURRICANE LAURA ROARS
ASHORE, ONE OF THE STRONGEST
STORMS TO EVER HIT THE GULF
COAST.
COAST.
COAST. LAURA MADE LANDFALL AS A
CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE JUST OVER
CAMERON LOUISIANA, NOW RACING
NORTHWARD.
NORTHWARD. I'LL HAVE THE LATEST ON THE
PATH.
PATH.
PATH. >>
PATH. >> ALL WE GOT TO DO IS HOPE.
>> HOPE AND PRAY.
>> SOCIAL MEDIA GAVE US A
REALTIME LOOK AT WHAT IT LOOKED
LIKE WHEN LAURA CAME ON SHORE.
I'LL SHARE SOME OF THE MOST
POWERFUL IMAGES FROM SOCIAL
MEDIA.
MEDIA.
MEDIA. .
.
. >>>
. >>> FIRST AT 6:30, FROM PORT
ARTHUR TO ORANGE TO LAKE CHARLES
AND LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA,
HURRICANE LAURA HAS WHIPPED UP
DANGEROUS WINDS, DAMAGING
BUILDINGS AND KNOCKING OUT
POWER, FLOODING ROADS.
THE FURTHER EAST YOU GO, THE
WORST IT IS RIGHT NOW.
HURRICANE LAURA CAME ASHORE AS A
CATEGORY 4, THAT IS A MONSTER OF
A STORM AS YOU KNOW.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IN HOUSTON,
IT MISSED US COMPLETELY.
OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE EAST
WEREN'T SO LUCKY.
THERE ARE COUNTLESS VIDEOS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWING THE DAMAGE
IN PLACES LIKE LAKE CHARLES.
IF YOU WERE HERE IN HOUSTON FOR
HURRICANE IKE, YOU WILL
RECOGNIZE IMAGES LIKE THIS.
A SKYSCRAPER LOOKING LIKE SWISS
CHEESE WITH WINDOWS BLOWN OUT.
THIS MORNING WE HAVE LIVE TEAM
COVERAGE FOR YOU IN ORANGE,
BOLIVAR PENINSULA AND BRANDY IS
LOOKING FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT WE START WITH METEOROLOGIST
CHITA CRAFT.
CHITA CRAFT. WHERE IS LAURA NOW AND IS SHE
GETTING WEAKER?
GETTING WEAKER? >> YES, WE ARE SEEING WEAKENING
ON THE WESTERN FRINGE OF
LOUISIANA.
LOUISIANA. IT IS IMPACTING PRETTY MUCH THE
ENTIRE STATE AT THIS POINT.
WE WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME
PERSPECTIVE OF THE SCOPE.
ALMOST A CLEAN LINE FROM TEXAS
INTO LOUISIANA.
INTO LOUISIANA. SO THE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN JUST
UNREAL ACROSS PORTIONS OF
COASTLINE THERE FOR LOUISIANA
AND MAINLY SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
THAT TOOK THE DIRECT HIT
OVERNIGHT BEFORE 1:00 A.M.
HERE
HERE
HERE LOCALLY, NOT SO MUCH.
WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING BREEZY
WINDS AND A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE THIS IS
EXPECTED TO GO.
IT WILL CONTINUE ON A NORTHERLY
TRACK IN LOUISIANA THROUGHOUT
THE MORNING.
THE MORNING. NOTICE THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION
IS STARTING TO CLOSE UP.
THAT IS A SIGN IT IS STARTING TO
WEAKEN.
WEAKEN.
WEAKEN. THE LATEST TRACK HAS IT
WEAKENING TO A CAT 1 EARLY
AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON. SO IT IS PACKING HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY.
AS IT LIFTS NORTH OF LOUISIANA,
IT COULD PACK TROPICAL STORM
FORCE CONDITIONS THROUGH THE
NIGHT TONIGHT.
NIGHT TONIGHT. SO STILL A LOT TO MONITOR WITH
LAURA.
LAURA.
LAURA. WE
LAURA. WE WILL GET THE IMAGES RIGHT
WHEN THE SUN COMES UP THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. >> THANK YOU.
>>> THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE WAS
PREPARED FOR THE WORST OF THIS
úSTORM.
úSTORM.
úSTORM. WHILE THEY AVOIDED A DIRECT HIT,
THEY DID GET BLASTED WITH WIND
AND RAIN.
AND RAIN.
AND RAIN. JANELLE IS LIVE IN ORANGE FOR
US.
US.
US. THE
US. THE VIDEO YOU WERE SHOWING US
EARLIER, IT LOOKS LIKE THE
DAMAGE CAN BE REPAIRED.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE HAVING
AUDIO ISSUES.
AUDIO ISSUES. WE WILL GET BACK TO THAT IN A
MINUTE.
MINUTE.
MINUTE. >>> WE WANT TO TURN TO MICHELLE
CHOI WHO CONTINUES OUR COVERAGE
FROM HIGH ISLAND.
MICHELLE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?
>> Reporter: TXDOT CREWS ARE
HARD HAD AT WORK THIS MORNING
REMOVING A WHOLE BUNCH OF ROCKS
THAT LITTERED HIGHWAY 87 HERE
LAST NIGHT, MAKING THE SECTION
OF THE HIGHWAY IMPASSABLE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN NO
LONGER SEE THE ROCKS.
THEY HAVE CLEARED IT OVER THE
LAST HOUR OR SO.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE SPOT
LOOKED LIKE EARLIER.
ROCKS AND MORE ROCKS AFTER
STRONG WINDS PUSHED THEM IN.
AUTHORITIES ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN
THE HIGHWAY LAST NIGHT WHICH WAS
AN ISSUE SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY
ROAD THAT CONNECTS FOLKS LIVING
ON BOLIVAR PENINSULA TO THE
MAINLAND.
MAINLAND.
MAINLAND. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ROCKS COVER
ABOUT 5 OR 6 MILES.
CREWS HAVE A LOT OF WORK BUT IT
SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING
THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE HIGHWAY
WILL BE BACK OPEN BUT I BELIEVE
IT WILL HAPPEN SOMETIME TODAY.
BACK TO YOU.
>>> RIGHT NOW, SOCIAL MEDIA IS
FULL OF PRAYERS, PRAYERS FOR THE
PEOPLE OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS WHO
WERE IMPACTED BY LAURA, PRAYERS
FOR FOLKS WHO LIVE IN LOUISIANA
AND WHO ARE BEING HIT HARDEST BY
THIS STORM.
THIS STORM. IT IS REASSURING TO KNOW THAT
THE REST OF THE WORLD IS LOOKING
ON AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS,
THINKING OF US, SENDING US THOSE
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
THIS IS WHY.
THIS GIVES YOU A CLEAR IDEA.
CHRIS CASSADY IS AN ASTRONAUT ON
THE SPACE STATION NOW.
THAT IS LAURA FILLING THE ENTIRE
SCREEN THERE.
SCREEN THERE. I WANT TO JUST SHOW YOU THIS
VIDEO.
VIDEO.
VIDEO. IT
VIDEO. IT IS FROM HURRICAE TRACKER, HE
PUT A VIDEO IN CAMERON,
LOUISIANA, THAT'S WHERE LANDFALL
WAS MADE.
WAS MADE.
WAS MADE. IT KNOCKED -- THE STORM SURGE
KNOCKED THE CAMERA OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE POWER OF
STORM SURGE, HOW IT IS JUST THE
STORM PUSHING ALL OF THAT WATER
ONTO SHORE AND HOW DANGEROUS IT
CAN BE, HOW POWERFUL IT CAN BE.
THAT'S JUST AN INDICATION RIGHT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. A
THERE. A LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER
CONDITIONS, THIS WAS IN LAKE
CHARLES.
CHARLES.
CHARLES. THIS WAS BEFORE LANDFALL.
AT THE TIME, THEY WERE
EXPERIENCING ABOUT CAT 1 TYPE
WINDS.
WINDS.
WINDS. 70
WINDS. 70 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT LOOK AT THE POWER OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT 70-MILE-PER-HOUR
WINDS LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS A STORM THAT PACKED
WINDS OF 150 MILES PER HOUR.
IT JUST BLOWS YOUR MIND.
ALSO IN LAKE CHARLES, MARTIN
SAVAGE TWEETS THAT YOU CAN FEEL
THE HOTEL SHAKING.
JOSH WIMMERMAN IS A HARD CORE
HURRICANE TRACKER.
HURRICANE TRACKER. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BEING OUT
IN THE ELEMENTS LIKE HE IS BUT
HE SHARED THIS VIDEO OF
EXPLOSIONS.
EXPLOSIONS. HE SAYS YOU CAN HEAR WHISTLING.
HE IS IN SULFUR, REALLY NEAR
LAKE CHARLES.
LAKE CHARLES. FINALLY, JUST GOING TO LEAVE YOU
WITH THIS IMAGE OF THE STORM AS
IT MADE LANDFALL IN CAMERON.
THOSE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS RIGHT
NOW DEFINITELY NEEDED.
WE WILL SEE WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE
IT CAUSED IN THE LIGHT OF DAY.
BACK TO YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
>>> SPEAKING OF DAMAGE, WE WANT
TO GO BACK TO JANELLE LIVE IN
ORANGE FOR US.
>> Reporter: YES, SORRY ABOUT
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. WE
THAT. WE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME
BAD NEWS OUT HERE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THE RAIN HAS
STOPPED.
STOPPED.
STOPPED. THE WINDS HAVE DIED DOWN.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT DOESN'T LOOK
LIKE FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW, A
LOT OF DAMAGE AT THIS
INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 87 AND
I-10 IN ORANGE.
BUT IT SEEMS THE POWER OUTAGES
ARE CONTINUING TO CLIMB.
WE ARE AT 79,000 HOMES FOR THREE
COUNTIES, HARDEN, JEFFERSON, AND
ORANGE COUNTIES.
ORANGE COUNTIES. YOU CAN SEE THERE IS MORE OF A
CLEAR VIEW OF WHAT THE DAMAGE IS
HERE IN ORANGE.
I JUST SPOKE TO SOME EMERGENCY
OFFICIALS WHO JUST EMERGED FROM
THEIR OWN SHELTER HERE IN ORANGE
AND THEY ARE HEADED TO THEIR
HOMES TO SEE WHAT THE DAMAGE IS
LIKE.
LIKE.
LIKE. WE
LIKE. WE HAVE SEEN A LOT MORE CARS ON
THE ROAD, PEOPLE TRYING TO CHECK
OUT WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT,
WHAT LAURA DID HERE.
I DO WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT
LOOKED LIKE EARLIER THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. THIS IS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 87.
AS YOU CAN SEE HEAVY RAIN AND
WIND.
WIND.
WIND. VERY DIFFICULT DRIVING
CONDITIONS.
CONDITIONS. LUCKILY, THAT INTENSITY HERE IS
GONE.
GONE.
GONE. IT
GONE. IT IS VERY CLEAR OUT HERE.
STILL THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER
HERE IN ORANGE.
WE WILL BRING YOU GUYS UPDATES
THROUGH THE DAY ON POTENTIAL
DAMAGE HERE.
DAMAGE HERE. >> THAT'S WHAT WE WERE
ORIGINALLY THINKING.
ORIGINALLY THINKING. THIS WOULD BE A WIND AND A STORM
SURGE EVENT.
SURGE EVENT. YOU CAN SEE THE POWER OUT OAGES
THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HERE
LOCALLY.
LOCALLY.
LOCALLY. BECAUSE IT MADE LANDFALL IN
CAMERON, LOUISIANA, IT HAS
SPARED MOST OF HOUSTON AND
GALVESTON OF THAT.
THIS MORNING, IT IS CONTINUING A
TRACK AND RACE NORTHWARD THROUGH
LOUISIANA.
LOUISIANA. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN
EXPECT TODAY.
EXPECT TODAY. WE ARE WAKING UP MOSTLY DRY,
BREEZY START TO THE DAY.
THAT'S ABOUT IT.
LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE, THIS IS FROM
OUR WEATHER BUG NETWORK IN
GALVESTON.
GALVESTON. YOU CAN SEE A BREEZY START.
WE ARE STILL TRACKING THIS
MORNING LIGHT RAIN IN THE AREA.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT IS IT?
A CAT 4 HURRICANE MADE LANDFALL
JUST 140 MILES EAST OF US.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A BREEZY
START TO THE DAY.
IT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE HOW
MINIMAL THE IMPACTS ARE LOCALLY.
THE EVENT IS OVER FOR US.
MID-TO LOW 90s THIS AFTERNOON,
30% TO 40% CHANCE OF SHOWERS
THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS AFTERNOON. BASICALLY, JUST A LATE AUGUST
FORECAST THAT IS EXPECTED
LOCALLY.
LOCALLY.
LOCALLY. COMING UP, WE WILL TALK ABOUT
THE IMPACTS OF LAURA EXPECTED
LATER TONIGHT AND AS IT WORKS
ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE
COUNTRY COMING UP IN ABOUT 5
MINUTES.
MINUTES.
MINUTES. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, WE WILL
TALK MORE ABOUT HURRICANE LAURA.
FOR NOW, WE WANT TO TURN TO THE
DAY'S OTHER BIG STORIES STARTING
WITH A FALSE CLAIM ABOUT MAIL IN
VOTING.
VOTING.
VOTING. >> FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THERE
IS NO EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN POWERS
INTERFERING WITH MAIL IN VOTERS.
THAT UNDERMINES TRUMP'S CLAIM
EARLIER THIS SUMMER.
>>> CHINA ACCUSES THE U.S. OF A
NAKED ACT OF PROVOCATION.
CHINESE OFFICIALS SAY A U.S. AIR
FORCE SPY PLANE FLEW INTO A NO
FLY ZONE DURING A MILITARY
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE. BEIJING TEST FIRED TWO MISSILES
AS A WARNING TO THE U.S.
MILITARY.
MILITARY.
MILITARY. >>> THE CDC RELEASES NEW
CORONAVIRUS TESTING GUIDELINES.
NOW THE GUIDELINES SAY GETTING
TESTED EVEN IF YOU HAVE HAD
CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WITH
THE VIRUS MAY NOT BE NECESSARY.
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS ARE
QUESTIONING THE CHANGE.
>>> GOOD NEWS OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
FIRE OFFICIALS SAY LOWER
TEMPERATURES AND WEAKER WINDS
HELP FIREFIGHTERS GET A HANDLE
ON THE DEADLY WILDFIRES.
MORE THAN 600 WILDFIRES HAVE
BURNED MORE THAN A MILLION AND A
QUARTER ACRES.
QUARTER ACRES. >>> A POSSIBLE AIRLINE BAILOUT
ON THE HORIZON.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS SAY THEY
MAY GIVE RELIEF TO AIRLINE
WORKERS TO KEEP THEM EMPLOYED
BUT CONGRESS WILL HAVE TO ACT.
IT COMES