Hurricane Laura nears Category 5 strength as Gulf Coast braces for what's expected to be "catastrophic" damage
Hundreds of Hurricane Laura evacuees wait in their cars as they line up for hotel vouchers at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Credit: Bronte Wittpenn/American-Statesman via USA TODAY NETWORKGet the latest updates on Hurricane Laura here. Hurricane Laura almost strengthened into a Category 5 storm Wednesday as it neared the Gulf Coast and threatened "catastrophic" devastation from storm surge and wind damage on both sides of the Texas-Louisiana border. The storm, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall after midnight Thursday. Hurricane Laura is also expected to cause flooding and damage from storm surge, which pushes water from the coast inland.
Formula 1 cancels races in Azerbaijan, Singapore, Japan
Driving around Formula One tracks without fans cheering loudly at Silverstone and Monza would literally feel very empty for world champion Lewis Hamilton. The first 10 races this season have been postponed or canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, and if F1 does start this summer no fans can watch. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)Formula One races in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan were canceled on Friday because of issues arising from the coronavirus pandemic. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was due to be rescheduled after the postponement of its original race date on June 7, while the Singapore Grand Prix was scheduled for Sept. 20. Further races are scheduled for Spain on Aug. 16 and Belgium on Aug. 30, with Italy completing the European swing on Sept. 6.