Tropical Storm Laura is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday over the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said Tuesday morning.
The storm strengthened overnight and was near hurricane strength as of 7 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said. Laura is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday around the Louisiana/Texas state line.
Portions of Louisiana are under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm watch related to Laura. A dangerous storm surge is expected – up to 11 feet in some places – along with strong winds and rain.
