Local officials are urging residents to prepare as Hurricane Laura is expected to become a “major” hurricane before making landfall either late Wednesday or early Thursday morning.

The storm, which a NOAA Hurricane Hunter reported strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday, is intensifying over the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Just hours ago, Tropical Storm Marco made landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River. It is no longer considered a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center but still had sustained winds of 35 miles per hour as of late Tuesday morning.

Recommended Stories

Zeta becomes a hurricane as it takes aim at already hard-hit Louisiana

Hurricane-ravaged Bahamas faces new tropical storm threat

Texas coast braces for Beryl, which is expected to regain hurricane strength