Hurricane Laura slams into Louisiana, forecasters warn of wall of water

A satellite view of lightning from Hurricane Laura, August 25, 2020, in this still image from video obtained via social media. NOAA via REUTERS

PORT ARTHUR, Texas (Reuters) - Hurricane Laura made landfall early on Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a massive wall of water 40 miles inland from the sea.

Laura made landfall just before 1 a.m. as a category 4 storm, packing winds of 150 mph (240 kph) in the small town of Cameron, Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.