As the summer heats offshore waters, people in Southeast Texas keep an eye for tropical disturbances, they remember past storms. Last year’s Hurricane Laura came ashore in nearby Cameron as a Category 4 storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its analysis of Laura and shows the storm caused an estimated $19 billion in damage, with $975 million in Texas, and $17.5 billion in Louisiana.
It was the strongest storm to hit Louisiana since Hurricane Camille in 1969.
The storm caused seven “direct deaths,” four in Louisiana, one falling-tree-related death in Sabine County, Texas, plus two surf-related deaths, one in Corpus Christi and the other in Florida.
NOAA reports direct deaths are drownings or injuries related to wind. The direct deaths do not include electrocutions, house fires, heart attacks, or vehicle accidents.
Orange County did not have direct deaths connected with Laura, but had nine direct deaths from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, plus two electrocution deaths and several other indirect deaths.
Laura was “devastating” to Southwest Louisiana, particularly to Calcasieu and Cameron counties, NOAA reports. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said an estimated 10,000 homes were demolished by the storm.
The western part of Laura hit Orange County. The heaviest rain recorded was 11.74 inches in Starks, Louisiana, across the Sabine River. Radar shows a small center of 10-12 inch rains in northern Orange County. A Sabine River gauge had 8.84 inches of rain. A NOAA community gauge in Bridge City had 4.14 inches.
The storm surge of 12 to 18 feet came ashore in Creole and Grand Chenier. NOAA said another 20 miles west would have sent the surge into Calcasieu Lake and up the river.
Another 20 miles westward would have brought more severe winds to Orange County. NOAA reports Southeast Texas had sustained winds of 65 knots per hour ( 74.8 mph), a minimum Category 1. Gusts up to 78 knots (90 mph) were recorded.
In Louisiana, Sulphur had sustained winds of 103.6 mph with gusts of 132.3 mph. Lake Charles had gusts of 137 mph and Holly Beach had gusts of 153 mph. The winds in Lake Charles blew down the National Weather Service’s radar.
Laura spawned 16 tornadoes as the remnants traveled through Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. No deaths were reported from tornadoes.
Laura came ashore near Cameron on August 27, 2020. It began as a tropical wave off the coast of West Africa on August 16.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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