Hurricane Laura slams Louisiana, kills six, but less damage than forecast

A car near Vermilion Bay is seen partially submerged in waters brought by Hurricane Laura approaching Abbeville, Louisiana, U.S., August 26, 2020. REUTERS/Kathleen Flynn

LAKE CHARLES, La. (Reuters) - Hurricane Laura tore through Louisiana on Thursday, killing six people and flattening buildings across a wide swatch of the state before moving into Arkansas with heavy rains.

Laura's powerful gusts uprooted trees - and four people were crushed to death in separate incidents of trees falling on homes. The state's department of health said late Thursday that there were two more fatalities attributed to the hurricane - a man who drowned while aboard a sinking boat and a man who had carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a generator in his home.