Hurricane Laura was upgraded to a Category 3 storm early Wednesday morning and remains on track to make landfall along the Texas and Louisiana coast on Wednesday night. Data from the National Hurricane Center shows that it could become a Category 4 storm before slamming into the shore.

Cities along the coastline, such as Galveston and Port Arthur, are likely to see catastrophic damage.

The impact on East Texas will naturally be less severe, but still significant, starting late Wednesday night. “Winds are expected to begin increasing over the southernmost sections of East Texas, spreading northward during the day on Thursday,” stated KLTV Chief Meteorologist Mark Scirto. “Maximum wind gusts of 80 mph or more are possible.”

Scirto also predicts 4-6 inches of rain for eastern counties, 2-4 inches of rain for central counties, and 1-2 inches of rain along the western fringe. This begins with scattered showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon, as the outer bands of Hurricane Laura reach East Texas. The rain and wind increase Wednesday night and continue throughout all of Thursday.

There is also a chance for isolated tornadoes and Flash Flood Watches in some counties.

Clear skies return to East Texas on Friday afternoon, making this weekend a perfect opportunity to assess potential damage from the storm. Strong winds can tear shingles from roofs and heavy rainfall may lead to leaks inside of homes and businesses. Let the highly trained experts at Stonewater Roofing help you locate the damage and get it properly repaired, providing peace of mind for many years to come.