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UPDATES: Hurricane Laura leaves destruction in its wake

Laura has been downgraded to a tropical storm with winds nearing 70 miles per hour and is currently moving north.
Credit: KHOU

HOUSTON — Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 storm in southwest Louisiana, near Cameron, around 1 a.m. on Thursday.

According to the National Hurricane Center, maximum sustained winds were 150 miles per hour, with a minimum central pressure of 938 mb. 

From satellite images, Laura had the signature of a classic hurricane with a well-defined eye surrounded by deep convection. The storm strengthened throughout its journey through the Gulf of Mexico and weakened as it made its way over land. 

RELATED: What Hurricane Laura looked like when it hit Lake Charles

Laura has been downgraded to a tropical storm with winds nearing 70 miles per hour and is currently moving north..

EFFECTS ON EAST TEXAS

Due to the trajectory of the hurricane, multiple Deep East Texas school districts and colleges canceled classes or moved to online learning.

RELATED: LIST: East Texas school district cancel classes due to Hurricane Laura

Those schools include: 

  • Alto ISD (Cherokee County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Beckville ISD (Panola County) - Closed Aug. 27 
  • Big Sandy ISD (Polk County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 28
  • Broaddus ISD (San Augustine County) - Remote learning Aug. 26, Closed Aug. 27 - 28
  • Brookeland ISD (Jasper County) - Closed Aug. 25 - 28
  • Bullard ISD (Smith County) - Two-hour late start Aug. 27; First bell at 9:55 a.m.
  • Carlisle ISD (Rusk County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Carthage ISD (Panola County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Center ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Central ISD (Angelina County) -  Asynchronous learning Aug. 26 - 28
  • Chester ISD (Tyler County) - Closed Aug. 25 - 28
  • Colmesneil ISD (Tyler County) - Closed Aug 25 - 28
  • Corrigan-Camden ISD (Polk County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 27
  • Daingerfield ISD (Morris County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Elysian Fields ISD (Houston County) -Closed Aug 27
  • Etoile ISD (Nacogdoches County) - Closed Aug. 27 - 28
  • Evadale ISD (Jasper County) - Closed Aug. 25 - 28
  • Excelsior ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Garrison ISD (Nacogdoches County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Gary ISD (Panola County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Gladewater ISD (Gregg/Upshur County) - Closed Aug. 27; Football game against Gilmer moved to Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Grand Saline ISD (Van Zandt County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Grapeland ISD (Houston County) - Closed Aug. 27 - 28
  • Hallsville ISD (Harrison County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Harleton ISD (Harrison County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Hemphill ISD (Sabine County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 28
  • Henderson ISD (Rusk County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Hooks ISD (Bowie County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Hughes Springs ISD (Cass/Morris County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Huntington ISD (Angelina County) - Asynchronous learning Aug. 26 - 28
  • Jacksonville College (Cherokee County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Jacksonville ISD (Cherokee County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Jasper ISD (Jasper County) - Closed Aug. 25 - 28
  • Jefferson ISD (Marion County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Joaquin ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug 27
  • Kilgore College (Rusk/Gregg County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Kilgore ISD (Rusk/Gregg County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Laneville ISD (Rusk County) - Remote learning Aug. 27
  • Livingston ISD (Polk County) - Closed Aug. 26-27; Remote learning Aug. 28
  • Lufkin ISD (Angelina County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Marshall ISD (Harrison County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Maud ISD (Bowie County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Onalaska ISD (Polk County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 27
  • Overton ISD (Rusk County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Panola College (Panola County) - Wednesday evening classes canceled; Closed Aug. 27 - 28
  • Sabine ISD (Gregg County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Shelbyville ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Spring Hill ISD (Gregg County) closed Aug. 27
  • Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches) - Closed Aug. 26 - 28
  • Tatum ISD (Rusk County) - Postponing first day of school until Aug. 28
  • Tenaha ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Timpson ISD (Shelby County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Trinity ISD (Trinity County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 28
  • Union Grove ISD (Upshur County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • Warren ISD (Jefferson County) - Closed Aug. 25 - 28
  • West Sabine ISD (Sabine County) - Closed Aug. 26 - 28
  • West Rusk ISD (Rusk County) - Closed Aug. 27
  • White Oak ISD (Gregg County)
  • Zavalla ISD (Angelina County) - Remote learning Aug. 26; Closed Aug. 27 - 28; Back to remote learning Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 (Due to positive COVID-19 test)

RELATED: CBS19 WEATHER: Hurricane Laura forms as Category 1 storm — What this means for East Texas

Due to the possibility of high winds and heavy rains caused by Hurricane Laura, the City of Longview Sanitation Division will delay regular trash, recycling and bulky item collection from Thursday, Aug, 27, until Friday, Aug. 28. Residents with regular Thursday collection are asked to not place their carts curbside until Friday. 

"We appreciate everyone's cooperation. We've seen very high winds in past storms that knocked over carts, which obviously caused messes and created significant delays in collection," Assistant Director of Public Works Dwayne Archer said.

The temporary change in collection date only affects Thursday customers. However, all customers are encouraged to secure their trash and recycling carts in advance of the storm. 

The Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) has waived north and south toll fees for Toll 49. Fees will be waived until Aug. 28, at noon.

STATE OF DISASTER

On Sunday, Gov. Abbott issued a state of disaster to assist Texans who could be affected by the storms. Gov. Abbott announced Monday morning that FEMA had approved the declaration.  

RELATED: BE PREPARED: Tips to stay safe during tropical storms, hurricanes amid COVID-19 pandemic

Gov. Abbott has added 36 counties to his earlier state disaster declaration that only included 23 counties, which included all coastal surge counties, plus Bexar County, which will be for staging and sheltering.

The following counties are included in the disaster declaration:

  • Anderson
  • Angelina
  • Aransas
  • Bexar
  • Bowie
  • Brazoria
  • Calhoun
  • Cameron
  • Cass
  • Chambers
  • Cherokee
  • Dallas
  • Fort Bend
  • Franklin
  • Galveston
  • Gregg
  • Grimes
  • Hardin
  • Harris
  • Harrison
  • Houston
  • Jackson
  • Jasper
  • Jefferson
  • Kenedy
  • Kleberg
  • Leon
  • Liberty
  • Madison
  • Matagorda
  • Marion
  • Montgomery
  • Morris
  • Nacogdoches
  • Newton
  • Nueces
  • Orange
  • Panola
  • Polk
  • Red River
  • Refugio
  • Rusk
  • Sabine
  • San Augustine 
  • San Jacinto
  • San Patricio
  • Shelby
  • Smith
  • Titus
  • Travis
  • Trinity
  • Tyler
  • Upshur
  • Victoria
  • Wailer
  • Walker
  • Wharton
  • Willacy
  • Wood

Gov. Abbott said the state had deployed 400 buses, 38 aircraft, 82 boats, 202 high-profile vehicles, 60 ambulances and 75-plus paratransit vehicles to assist in the movement of Texans. 5,000 people have been sheltered, according to the governor.

TRACKING THE TROPICS

This year's tropical season is continuing to smash records.

Typically, we don't see our 11th named storms in the Atlantic Ocean until late November. To add to the concern, 85% of major hurricanes (Category 3 and above) don't usually occur until after August 20.

The last time we had a year close to being as active as 2020 was back in 2005 —  the year Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. It was also a year when La Niña developed in the fall. 

Hold on to your hats, folks. Things could get very dangerous during the next two months along the gulf coast.

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