400K Told to Evacuate Ahead of Hurricane

Tropical Storm Marco didn't pack as powerful a punch as feared, but Hurricane Laura is coming in fierce on its heels. The National Hurricane Center is warning that Laura will turn into a "major" Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115mph before it comes ashore on the Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday, reports USA Today. The AP reports that nearly 400,000 people have been told to evacuate the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galveston, and Port Arthur, and people in southwestern Louisiana got the same warning.

“If you decide to stay, you’re staying on your own,” says Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie. Forecasters say residents can expect massive storm surges, perhaps as high as 11 feet near the border of Texas and Louisiana. And some locales in the latter state could see up to 15 inches of rain. Parts of Mississippi also are in a danger zone. "Today (Tuesday) is the day to prepare if you are in a watch area because the weather will be going downhill by Wednesday afternoon," says the Hurricane Center. (More hurricanes stories.)