1. Dangerous storm surge will result in elevated water levels forthe next few hours along the Gulf Coast from Sabine Pass, Texas, toPort Fourchon, Louisiana. In some areas where surge penetrated farinland, flood waters will not fully recede for several days.

2. Damaging winds will continue near the center of Laura overportions of northern Louisiana and Arkansas today and this evening.

3. Widespread flash flooding along small streams, urban areas, androadways will continue across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi,and Arkansas. Additional rainfall will also lead to minor tomoderate freshwater river flooding. The heavy rainfall threat andflash and urban flooding potential will spread northeastward intothe middle-Mississippi, lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, andMid-Atlantic States Friday and Saturday.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Tropical Storm Warning along the Gulf coast has been discontinued.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
- Sabine Pass Texas to Port Fourchon Louisiana

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of lifethreatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline in the indicated locations. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Key messages for Laura can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3 and WMO header WTNT43 KNHC.

STORM SURGE: Water levels remain elevated along the Gulf Coast and will continue to subside over the next few hours.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions will continue to spread into northern Louisiana and portions of Arkansas through this evening.

RAINFALL: Through Friday Laura is expected to produce additional rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, with isolated storm totals of 18 inches over Louisiana.

This rainfall will continue to cause widespread flash and urban flooding, small streams and creeks to overflow their banks, and minor to moderate freshwater river flooding.

Through Saturday, Laura is expected to produce 1 to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches across the midMississippi Valley, portions of the Tennessee and Lower Ohio Valleys, the central Appalachians, and the MidAtlantic States.

This rainfall may lead to flash and urban flooding and rapid rises on small streams.

TORNADOES: Tornadoes are possible through tonight over parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, and western Mississippi. The risk for tornadoes will shift into the MidSouth and Tennessee Valley regions on Friday into Friday night.

SURF: Swells produced by Laura continue to affect the U.S. Gulf coast from the Florida Panhandle to Texas and northeastern Mexico. These swells are likely to cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

At 100 PM CDT (1800 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located inland over northern Louisiana near latitude 32.9 North, longitude 92.8 West. Laura is moving toward the north near 15 mph (24 km/h) and this motion should continue through this afternoon. A northeastward to eastnortheastward motion is expected tonight and Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Laura is forecast to move over Arkansas tonight, the midMississippi Valley on Friday, and the midAtlantic states on Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Continued weakening is forecast, and Laura is expected to weaken to a tropical depression this evening or overnight.

Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center. A sustained wind of 44 mph (70 km/h) and a gust to 62 mph (100 km/h) was recently reported at Monroe Regional Airport in Louisiana. A wind gust to 52 mph (83 km/h) was recently reported at South Arkansas Regional Airport.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 988 mb (29.18 inches).

Laura has continued to move inland over west-central Louisiana thismorning. Satellite and radar imagery has shown a gradual filling ofthe eye, and a reduction in Doppler velocities in the northeasterneyewall. The initial intensity is set at 65 kt, based on a reductionof the Doppler velocities and the typical filling rate of inlandhurricanes. The highest wind gusts at official observing siteswithin the past few hours has been at Alexandria, Louisiana, where agust to 75 kt has been reported.

The hurricane is moving slightly east of due north or 005/14 kt. Ageneral northward motion should continue through this evening as thehurricane moves around the western portion of a mid-level ridge overthe southeastern United States. Laura should turn northeastwardovernight while it moves across Arkansas and becomes embedded withinthe mid-latitude westerlies. A faster east-northeastward motion isforecast by late Friday, which will bring Laura or its remnantsacross the central Appalachians and to the Mid-Atlantic states onSaturday. After that time, the system is expected to accelerateeast-northeastward to northeastward over the western Atlantic.

Laura will continue to rapidly weaken today while it moves fartherinland. The cyclone will become a tropical storm this afternoon andis expected to weaken to a tropical depression tonight or earlyFriday. Although Laura is weakening, strong wind gusts are likelyto spread over northern Louisiana and Arkansas into this evening.The UKMET and ECMWF models continue show the extratropical remnantsof Laura strengthening somewhat over the western Atlantic, and theNHC forecast continues to depict the system as a gale-force low atdays 3-5. An alternate scenario is for the system to be absorbedby a frontal boundary over the western Atlantic before the end ofthe forecast period. The extratropical portion of the forecast isbased on guidance from the NOAA Ocean Prediction Center.