Hurricane Laura Batters Lake Charles, Texas-Louisiana Border [PHOTOS]

Source: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Houston and Galveston may have been spared by Hurricane Laura but other cities along the Gulf Coast weren’t as fortunate.

The Category 4 hurricane made landfall early Thursday morning along Cameron, Louisiana, ripping through Lake Charles, Louisiana before losing strength and downgrading to a category 1. As of 8 a.m. Thursday (August 27), the center of the storm was located above Cameron, moving at 15 mph with the eye of the storm moving about 100 miles north along the Texas-Louisiana border.

Although residents in Jefferson County such as Orange and Port Arthur have been given the go-ahead to return to the homes, I-10 eastbound still remains closed at the Texas/Louisiana state line. I-10 westbound is closed west of the Atchafalya Basin.

As of now, one fatality has been confirmed due to Hurricane Laura. According to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a 14-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her home.

See some of the early damage Laura has caused the Texas/Louisiana region. The storm has already killed nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispaniola, 20 in Haiti and caused massive flooding in the Dominican Republic, killing three people.

1. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: A street is seen strewn with debris and downed power lines after Hurricane Laura passed through the area on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,outdoors,city,damaged,street,gulf coast states,weather,environment,wind,louisiana,scenics – nature,knocked down,lake charles

2. US-WEATHER-HURRICANE

A road is blocked off by destroyed trees after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 27, 2020. – Hurricane Laura slammed into the southern US state of Louisiana Thursday and the monster category 4 storm prompted warnings of “unsurvivable” ocean surges and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “extremely dangerous” Laura would bring winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) and “destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to Louisiana and Texas. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) photography,horizontal,usa,abundance,road,gulf coast states,sea,tree,weather,environment,ruined,storm,louisiana,monster – fictional character,cyclone,evacuation,lake charles

3. US-WEATHER-HURRICANE

A woman walks down a street filled with debris after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 27, 2020. – Hurricane Laura slammed into the southern US state of Louisiana Thursday and the monster category 4 storm prompted warnings of “unsurvivable” ocean surges and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “extremely dangerous” Laura would bring winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) and “destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to Louisiana and Texas. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) photography,horizontal,usa,adult,women,abundance,street,gulf coast states,sea,walking,weather,environment,rubble,storm,louisiana,full,monster – fictional character,cyclone,evacuation,lake charles

4. US-WEATHER-HURRICANE

People walk past a destroyed building after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 27, 2020. – Hurricane Laura slammed into the southern US state of Louisiana Thursday and the monster category 4 storm prompted warnings of “unsurvivable” ocean surges and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “extremely dangerous” Laura would bring winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) and “destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to Louisiana and Texas. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) photography,people,horizontal,usa,abundance,gulf coast states,sea,walking,weather,environment,ruined,storm,louisiana,monster – fictional character,cyclone,evacuation,lake charles

5. US-WEATHER-HURRICANE

People walk past a destroyed building after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 27, 2020. – Hurricane Laura slammed into the southern US state of Louisiana Thursday and the monster category 4 storm prompted warnings of “unsurvivable” ocean surges and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “extremely dangerous” Laura would bring winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) and “destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to Louisiana and Texas. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) photography,people,horizontal,usa,abundance,gulf coast states,sea,walking,weather,environment,ruined,storm,louisiana,monster – fictional character,cyclone,evacuation,lake charles

6. US-WEATHER-HURRICANE

People walk past a destroyed building after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 27, 2020. – Hurricane Laura slammed into the southern US state of Louisiana Thursday and the monster category 4 storm prompted warnings of “unsurvivable” ocean surges and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said “extremely dangerous” Laura would bring winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) and “destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage” to Louisiana and Texas. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) photography,people,horizontal,usa,topix,abundance,gulf coast states,sea,walking,weather,environment,ruined,storm,louisiana,monster – fictional character,cyclone,evacuation,lake charles

7. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: A room that had its roof blown off is seen in a hotel after Hurricane Laura passed through the area on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,topix,city,damaged,gulf coast states,weather,environment,hotel,wind,louisiana,scenics – nature,rooftop,lake charles

8. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: Capitol One Bank Tower is seen with its windows blown out in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,window,city,damaged,gulf coast states,weather,environment,wind,louisiana,downtown district,scenics – nature,lake charles

9. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27:A Lake Charles police officer helps clear the streets in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,outdoors,assistance,city,damaged,street,gulf coast states,weather,environment,city street,wind,police force,louisiana,downtown district,scenics – nature,lake charles

10. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

SABINE PASS, TX – AUGUST 27: Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020 in Sabine Pass, Texas. Hurricane Laura came ashore bringing rain and high winds to the eastern part of the state. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,flood,texas,extreme weather,gulf coast states,weather,environment,accidents and disasters

11. Hurricane Laura Makes Landfall On US Gulf Coast

SABINE PASS, TX – AUGUST 27: Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020 in Sabine Pass, Texas. Hurricane Laura came ashore bringing rain and high winds to the eastern part of the state. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,usa,flood,texas,extreme weather,gulf coast states,weather,environment,accidents and disasters

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