Hurricane Laura packs a punch

Hurricane Laura packs a punch and she's not gone yet.

NOW.WE ARE AT A SERVICE STATION OFFOF HIGHWAY 61 NOW I HAVE TO SAYTHE RAIN HAS CALMED DOWN SINCEEARLY THIS MORNING, BUT THE WINDIS STILL BLOWING AND WE’RE GOINGTO JUST SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKSLIKE OUT HERE.YOU CAN SEE THE TREES ARESWAYING BECAUSE OF HOW POWERFULTHE WIN IS NOW.IT’S NOT THE MOST POWERFUL THATHAS BEEN ALL MORNING, BUT IT ISPRETTY POWERFUL RIGHT NOW.SO IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE OUT ANDABOUT THANKFULLY THE RAIN HASCALMED DOWN, BUT YOU DO STILLHAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE WIND OUTHERE NOW, WE’RE GOING TO SHOWYOU VIDEO EARLIER THAT WE WHENWE WERE IN DOWNTOWN NATCHEZ ONFRANKLIN STREET, AND THAT’S JUSTSHOWING YOU MORE VIDEO, BUT JUSTHOW STRONG THE WIND WASN’T THATWAS EARLIER THIS MORNING ABOUT AFEW HOURS AGO.YOU CAN SEE THE TREES AND THEPLANTS WERE SWING AND A FLAGEVEN FELL FROM A BUILDING DUE TOTHE STRONG WIND NOW AS WE WEREDRIVING AROUND NATCHEZ TO ADIFFERENT LOCATION EARLIER, WEFOUND SOME DAMAGE HERE IN ADAMSCOUNTY AND AUTOZONE SIGNEDSTOLEN CARS AT A NISSANDEALERSHIP NEAR OLD SOMERSETLANE.WE SPOKE TO ONE OF THE MANAGERSAT AUTOZONE ABOUT THE IMPACT OFHURRICANE LAURA.RIGHT NOW I WANT YOU TO TAKE ALISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.THAT’S ALL.THIS WAS ALREADY GUESSED.THIS ONE WAS ALREADY LIKE BEDAND THEN THEY WON’T BEND OVER IGUESS BECAUSE OF THE LIVER BROKEOVER HERE, BUT THIS HAND BROKEFIRST.WHAT WAS GOING ON IN YOUR MINDWHEN YOU SAW THIS IS PRETTY BAD.I WAS MORE SO LIKE WORRIED ABOUTLIKE THE CARS REALLY BECAUSE IKNOW AUTOZONE IS GONNA TAKE CAREOF IT.I WAS JUST HOPING DIDN’T NOBODYGET HURT FOR NUMBER 2.WE WE HAVE PEOPLE RIDING PASTLOOKING AT CARS.YOU KNOW, I’M THANKFUL.NO ONE GOT HURT.HAVE ANY OTHER DAMAGE THROUGH?NO, MA’AM.YOU HAVEN’T JUST DESCRIBED WEWERE EXPERIENCING.I’M THIS HEAVY WIND THE RAIN ISPOURING TALKING ABOUT WE’REEXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.WE EXPERIENCE A HEAVY HEAVY WINDHARD RAIN.I WISH EVERYONE WOULD STAY ATHOME, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT THETIME TO BE OUT RIGHT NOW.I PRAY THAT THIS WILL PASS AND IPRAY THAT EVERYONE WOULD BESAFE.DID YOU EXPECT ANYTHING LIKETHIS TO HAPPEN?THEY SPEAK TO BECAUSE WE DON’THAVE WINDS REALLY HARDER THANTHIS AND THE SIGN STILL HAVESTAYED.SO I GUESS THIS IS REALLYSERIOUS.EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE IT SERIOUS.I HOPE EVERYONE HELL WOULD THEYNEED AND THIS IS GOING TO GETTAKEN CARE OF.THAT’S ONE CAN SAY AND JUSYEAH, IT’S A PRETTY BIG HUH.SO I HOPE EVERYONE HAS LIKE ALLLOOSE ITEMS AT HOME.AWAY, LIKE TRASH BINS OR GRILLS.YOU DON’T WANT ANYTHING FLYINGTHROUGHOUT THE AREA, YOU KNOWDAMAGING YOUR VEHICLE.SO IF I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IFTHIS CAN FALL OF THIS CAN BREAKTHE LITTLE SMALL ITEM THAT WEHAVE AT HOME.IT’S REALLY NOTHING COMPARED TOTHIS.NOW I HAVE TO SAY THE WIND WASNOT BLOWING AS STRONG AT AS ITIS RIGHT NOW EARLIER TODAY WHENWE FIRST STARTED OFF.WE WERE LEAVING JACKSON HEADINGTO NATCHEZ AROUND 3:00 A.M.

ITWAS PRETTY QUIET OUTSIDE.WE DIDN’T START EXPERIENCINGRAIN OR EVEN THE HEAVY WINDUNTIL WE MADE IT TO ADAMS COUNTYNOW ENTERGY IS SAYING THATTHEY’RE REPORTING MORE THAN1,500 POWER OUTAGES ARECURRENTLY HAPPENING HERE INADAMS COUNTY BECAUSE OF THEWEATHER AND THERE ARE ALSO SOMEREPORTS OF DOWNED TREES IN THECOUNTY.SO PLEASE EVERYONE BE SAFE IFAND IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE OUTAND ABOUT ON A ROSE, THE RAINHAS CALM DOWN LIKE I MENTIONEDEARLIER, BUT THE WIND IS STILLBLOWING NOW AS YOU GUYS CAN SEEI HAD A HAT ON AT THE BEGINNINGOF THIS LIVE SHOT THE WIND BLEWIT AWAY, BUT FORTUNATELY MYPHOTOGRAPHER LANA’S RAN AND GOTIT BACK FOR ME, BUT THAT’S JUSTSHOWING YOU HOW POWERFUL THEWIND IS OUT HERE FOR NOW.I’M GOING TO SEND IT.YOU GUYS IN STUDIO?ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU SO MUCH.SHALEEKA AND ABC’S ROB MARCIANOHAS BEEN IN LAKE CHARLES,LOUISIANA.HE THE LATEST FROM THERE.LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA TAKING ADIRECT HIT FROM CATEGORY 4HURRICANE LAURA THE STRONGESTHURRICANE ON RECORD TO MAKELANDFALL IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANARAINFALL HAS SINCE ENDED THEWINS HAVE COME DOWN.THIS IS ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENEDLAST NIGHT AND THAT TIME IT WASTERRIFYING NIGHT AS HURRICANEWITH WINDS.MEASURE GUS OVER A HUNDRED MILESAN HOUR FOR A AN HOUR THAT ISENOUGH TO DO SOME DAMAGE TOBUILDING YOUR STAYING IN APRETTY FORTIFIED.AND A NEARLY NEW HOTEL AND THEGROUNDS NOW ARE LITTERED WITHPARTS OF THE HOTEL PARTS OF THESIDE PARTS OF THE ROOF COLLAPSE,SO YOU THIS STRUCTURE TOOKTHAT’S WHAT THE DAMAGERESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES LESSERSTRUCTURES CERTAINLY TOOKSERIOUS WIND DAMAGE NOT TOMENTION THIS SURGE THAT TRADEDTHIS CITY FIRST RESPONDERS GOINGTO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTINGAROUND TODAY BECAUSE THERE’S ALOT OF TREES THAT ARE DOWN.THERE’S A LOT OF WATER ON THEROADWAYS AND THERE’S A LOT OFDANGEROUS AND SHARP DEBRIS ONTHE ROADWAY AS WELL.SO THIS RECOVERY PROCESS ISGOING TO BE A SLOW GO TODAYREALLY FOR THE REST OF T WEEKWHEN EVENTUALLY THE RESIDENTSWILL BE ALLOWE