It's hard to write this and say this, but, Hurricane Laura is going to cause damage throughout East Texas and Deep East Texas tonight and throughout the day Thursday and Friday.

Hurricane Laura is currently a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 - 156 mph and is expected to remain a major storm as she makes landfall later this evening into tomorrow morning. As the storm moves northward, the Shreveport Bossier City area along with the Lufkin Nacogdoches area could feel hurricane force winds - speeds up to 100 mph while the the Tyler Longview area could feel Tropical Storm force wind speeds of up to 73 mph as the storm system races off to the north and eventually makes a right hand turn in the heart of Arkansas.

Wind speed isn't the only thing that could be damaging though, flash flooding could occur as the storm passes. The central portions of East Texas could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain and the eastern counties along the Texas Louisiana border could see as much as 3 to 5 inches of rain. With that much rainfall in a short amount of time flash flooding can occur. Add to that the wind speeds, there will be major tree damage and power outages across East Texas. Down trees will most likely be blocking roadways.

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TxDOT crews are prepared to respond as necessary. To put up barricades for flooded roadways, remove fallen trees from major roadways controlled by TxDOT along with other roadway issues.

TxDOT reminds us to avoid driving over flooded roads because you never know what has happened to the road underneath as the water rushed over the roads surface. #TurnAround.Don’tDrown

As the storm rolls through East Texas:

  • Avoid unnecessary travel if conditions warrant
  • Turn Around Don't Drown - do not drive through a flooded roadway
  • Know before you go - check road conditions anytime online

Also, with down trees come down power lines. If you come across any downed power line, treat that power line as its live.

Hacks For Storm Preparation

Keep Reading: Other Useful Tips For Storm Preparation

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