Death toll up to 16 for Hurricane Laura
The death toll from Hurricane Laura is now at 16, reported The Associated Press. Carbon monoxide poisoning due to unsafe operation of power generators killed more than half of the victims.
Thousands were left without power in the storm's aftermath. Officials warned residents along the Louisiana coast that they may face weeks without power or water.
When Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana last week as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, it was the strongest storm to hit the state since 1856.
For all continental U.S. landfalling hurricanes, Laura tied for the fifth strongest to ever hit the U.S. Pressure wise, Laura was the fourth-strongest hurricane in U.S. history.
Laura, while not as destructive as many forecasted, reached wind gusts of 137 mph in Lake Charles, Louisiana, caused a storm surge of 9 feet in the state and dropped 10 inches of rain in some areas.
The deaths were mostly in Louisiana. Three men were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in a pool hall in Port Arthur, Texas, according to the AP.
Hurricane Laura also killed nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic en route to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The storm also produced four tornadoes.
Laura is still a tropical depression Friday morning, but is losing its tropical characteristics over Arkansas. However, the storm is still producing heavy rain and with the possibility of tornadoes.
As of Friday evening, 485,192 customers in Louisiana, 106,801 in Texas and 26,373 in Arkansas remain without power in Laura's aftermath, according to poweroutage.us.
A flash flood watch has been issued for Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois, where some areas could see 3 to 5 inches of rain.
What’s left of Laura will move through Mid-Mississippi Valley and into Ohio Valley Friday evening, bringing gusty winds, a flash flooding threat and a threat for a few tornadoes.
Laura will combine with a cold front and will bring heavy rain and a threat for flash flooding to the Northeast Saturday from Philadelphia to New York City and into southern New England.
Remnants of Laura will bring up to 5 inches of rain to the Mid-South region and up to 3 inches in the Northeast this weekend.
