The Number of Deaths From Hurricane Laura is Increasing
The powerful hurricane Laura that hit Louisiana on Thursday killed at least six people in the American state. Rescue teams are still in full swing, and more victims are not excluded.
Still, state Governor John Bel Edwards is relieved that the storm has not been as catastrophic as previously thought.
“We have a lot to be thankful for,” said Edwards. According to him, it has now become clear that the storm did not cause the immense damage “that we thought was likely based on last night’s forecasts”.
He does add that the storm has turned the lives of thousands of residents upside down and he does not rule out that the rescue services will find even more victims.
“This was the most powerful storm to ever make landfall in Louisiana,” Edwards said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “He continues to cause damage and life-threatening conditions.”
President Donald Trump was also relieved. “It turns out we were lucky,” Trump said. “It was tremendous. It was compelling, but it passed quickly.”
The hurricane was one of the most powerful, nearing exceptional Category 5 when it made landfall. After that, the storm subsided as usual.
When the devastating hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, it was a storm of the third category. At the time, more than 1,800 people were killed.