Hurricane Laura - Huge chemical fire spews toxic chlorine gas over Louisiana and at least four dead as Mike Pence is blasted for empty offer of prayers
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Your support makes all the difference.Hurricane Laura strengthened into a Category 4 storm before it made landfall in Louisiana early on Thursday.
The storm arrived with sustained 150mph winds, and officials had warned it would bring an "unsurvivable" storm surge as high as 20ft for coastal areas.
Authorities had urged residents on the coast to evacuate, but not everyone did before the storm hit.
Four fatalities have been reported, including a 14-year-old girl. More than 825,000 homes and businesses are without power.
A fire is burning at a chemical plant near the city of Westlake, with the governor of Louisiana instructing people to stay indoors and turn off their air conditioning.
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Tornado watch in effect from New Orleans to Little Rock
As Hurricane Laura moves inland, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for a swathe of counties across three states, stretching from New Orleans to Little Rock. The alert is in place until 4pm CDT.
Huge line of first responder vehicles heading to Texas coast
A line of dozens of first responder vehicles is heading towards Port Arthur, Texas, from across the state.
Dramatic Weather Channel graphics show why the storm surge was described as "unsurvivable". As yet, the worst case scenario appears to have been avoided.
White House releases statement on Hurricane Laura
Statement from the Press Secretary on Response to Hurricane Laura
Hurricane Laura made landfall around 1am over Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 Major Hurricane with 150 mph winds. Hurricane Laura continues moving north affecting the states of Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. As we begin to assess the damage, please continue to heed the warnings and instructions of your State and local officials as storm hazards will persist long after the storm has passed.
Hurricane Laura remains a deadly hurricane with devastating coastal storm surges, destructive winds, and flash flooding. President Donald J Trump was briefed earlier this week by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Peter Gaynor on the status of Hurricane Laura and the proactive preparations taken by the Administration, and he has continued to receive regular updates about the conditions on the ground. President Trump is committed to deploying the full resources of the Federal Government to rescue those in distress, support those in the region affected, and restore disruptions to our communities and infrastructure.
More images emerge of damage in Lake Charles
Capitol One Bank Tower is seen with its windows blown out in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
People walk past a destroyed building (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
A man rests in front of his house after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
A street is seen strewn with debris and downed power lines (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Multiple reports of fire at chemical plant in Westlake, Louisiana
Footage of Hurricane Laura pounding Lake Charles with extreme winds
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