Laura made landfall early this morning near Cameron Louisiana as a strong Category 4 hurricane.
The system will continue tracking inland this evening and in the coming days.
Meteorologist Dr. Athena Masson says that although Laura is rapidly weakening it still has the potential to create dangerous conditions across the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee River valleys.
"Just because Laura is weakening does not mean that the threats are lessening. This is still a large storm which is continuing to produce heavy rainfall, isolated tornados, and damaging winds. The potential for severe weather will remain through the weekend as Laura shifts and tracks eastward into the mid-Atlantic before exiting out into the Atlantic where it could reform and continue out to sea."
Dr. Masson says that aside from Laura, the tropics are relatively quiet at the moment. However, forecasters are keeping an eye on a cluster of thunderstorms over Africa that could begin intensifying near the Cabo Verde Islands next week.
