US: Thousands of residents evacuate as dual storms hit Gulf Coast

Thousands of coastal residents in Louisiana and Cuba evacuated after Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura lashed towards the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico on August 23. As per reports, the two devastating storms also flooded the roads in Haiti’s capital with damage across the area likely to worsen this week.

As per several reports, officials have prompted fears of life-threatening winds and more flooding along the coast stretching from Texas to Alabama. Marco, which grew into a hurricane on August 23 with sustained winds of 75 mph, is predicted to make landfall along the Louisiana coast on August 24. Reportedly, Tropical Storm Laura which lashed the Dominican Republic and Haiti on August 23, killed at least 10 people before hitting Cuba on August 23 evening.

It is forecasted to strengthen into a hurricane before making a landfall in Texas or Louisiana on August 27. Laura is carrying the risk of growing into a very powerful storm. In the Dominican Republic, a total of three people have been reported dead, including a mother and her 7-year-old son, due to the collapsing of walls. Due to Tropical Storm Laura, power was knocked out to more than a million people in the Dominican Republic.  It also forced more than a thousand residents to leave and collapsed several houses along the Isabela River.

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Read: Two Tropical Storms Laura And Marco To Make A Landfall Off US Gulf Coast Soon

US President Donald Trump issues disaster declaration

As per several reports, Haitian authorities had reported seven deaths, including two people who swept away in flooding and a ten-year old girl who got crushed when a tree fell on her home. Tropical Storm Laura lashed eastern Cuba on August 23 evening with sustained winds of 60mph, destructing trees. Reportedly, the Cuban government said that power was cut in the easternmost province of Guantanamo. The government also added that it would be shut down as a preventive measure as winds picked up across the nation.

Responding to the emergency, US President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for Louisiana on August 23. Earlier, the US President had issued a similar declaration for Puerto Rico. Apart from Trump’s declaration, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards had warned that tropical storm-force winds would hit the region by August 24.

As per several reports, Laura could strengthen into a Category 2 or 3 hurricane on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale for measuring hurricane intensity and move west, nearer to Houston. Category 2 storms have sustained winds of nearly 96 mph and the threshold for Category 3 storms is 111 mph. As per several reports, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent teams to operation centres in Louisiana and Texas. The agency is getting ready to handle storms.

(Image credit: AP)

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Read: Tropical Storm Marco Swirls Over Gulf Of Mexico