Hurricane Laura tracker: Where is the storm currently and which areas in the US have been affected so far?

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Kit Heren27 August 2020

Hurricane Laura has made landfall on the southern US coast after coming in off the Gulf of Mexico.

Authorities have described the storm as "extremely dangerous", with winds of up to 150mph.

Locals in parts of Louisiana and Texas have been told to evacuate, with Laura approaching the border between the two states.

But where is the hurricane currently, and where has it already been?

A single truck is parked in an open lot as heavy rains from hurricane Laura fall in Lake Charles, Louisiana
AFP via Getty Images

Where is Hurricane Laura?

The hurricane swept over US soil for the first time on Tuesday morning, coming into Louisiana.

As of Tuesday morning it was over the small town of Cameron near the Texan border, about 130 miles east of the major city of Houston and 240 miles west of New Orleans.

Laura is set to continue north through Louisiana and towards Arkansas, before turning east where it is expected to be much less powerful.

Waves from Hurricane Laura crash on the 61st Street fishing pier on August 25, 2020 in Galveston, Texas
Getty Images

Have people been evacuated?

More than 500,000 people along the Louisiana-Texas border have been ordered out of their homes, as Hurricane Laura could flatten buildings and threaten lives.

Forecasters are using "apocalyptic" language, according to Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards in a radio interview.

He said: "The language I've heard from the National Weather Service I've never heard before... They're sending the strongest possible message about how serious this storm is."

But around 150 people in Cameron have reportedly refused to leave their property, despite the fact it could soon be flooded.

A car near Vermilion Bay is seen partially submerged in waters brought by Hurricane Laura approaching Abbeville, Louisiana
REUTERS

Which areas in the US have already been affected?

Hurricane Laura made landfall on Tuesday, so the impact in the US is mostly still to come.

But Laura has already struck the Caribbean, killing 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The hurricane has been put in category four - which means it could cause damage for weeks or months ahead.

Vincent Turner, 6, holds his eight-month-old sister Faith while playing in the front yard of their home ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Laura in Beaumont, Texas 
REUTERS

Electricity is expected to be out in parts of Texas and Louisiana for even longer than with a normal category four hurricane, as staffing shortages due to coronavirus will cause further delays.

President Trump has warned people to take care and urged residents to listen to local officials.

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