LAKE CHARLES

Ko Im always thought she would live in New York forever. Eight of the 10 largest cities in the U.S. lost population during the first year of the pandemic, with New York, Los Angeles and Chicago leading the way. Between July 2020 and July 2021, New York lost more than 305,000 people, while Chicago and Los Angeles contracted by 45,000 residents and 40,000 people, respectively.

Human-caused climate change made the record-smashing 2020 Atlantic hurricane season even wetter.

A 53-year-old resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been ordered to federal prison for...

Though vaccination was superior to prior infection during the Alpha wave, the Delta variant changed that, according to new CDC data.

A woman rang in the New Year with a big payout from a Louisiana casino.

Washington Post readers share their 2021 book highlights.

A revamped federal flood insurance program means higher rates for many homeowners — including in areas where coverage isn’t required because the government previously deemed them low or moderate risk.

Nearly 15 months after Hurricane Laura struck, Louisiana is kicking off $11.3 million in...

“Assassins” and “Caroline, or Change” enliven a vibrant season of shows.

Last year’s Hurricane Laura, slamming into the Lake Charles area at 1am, prompted the following viewer question:

Two women were hit by a car while protesting a police killing in Elizabeth City on Monday, police said. Michelle Morris, 42, and Valerie Lindsey, 42, were hit by a car driven by 41-year-old Lisa O’Quinn of Greenville, according to an Elizabeth City police statement. The two women, who are Black, were peacefully protesting at about 6:45 p.m. when they were hit, police said.

Flood watches, warnings remained in effect for portions of the south-central U.S. after a day of torrential rain. Louisiana was particularly hard hit.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said he's frustrated his city still hasn't received supplemental federal disaster aid from the first hurricane.

Dozens of residents rescued and hundreds of homes flooded after heavy rains inundate storm-battered state

Residents in southern Louisiana were bracing for more rain Tuesday after heavy downpours flooded homes, swamped cars and closed a major interstate. Lake Charles once again took the brunt of nature’s fury in a coastal zone still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes last fall and a deep freeze in February. The National Weather Service said south Lake Charles in western Louisiana saw 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rain in a 12-hour period Monday, while elsewhere in the parish as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) fell.

Lake Charles. La. Mayor Nic Hunter told reporters that the rainfall totals will probably meet the threshold for a 100-year event.

A deluge of rain hammered parts of the Gulf Coast Monday, leaving cars stranded, flooding houses, and threatening thunderstorms for the next week.

A deluge of rain hammered parts of the Gulf Coast Monday, leaving cars stranded, flooding houses, and threatening thunderstorms for the next week.

Heavy rains in western Louisiana flooded streets, left cars stranded and heightened worries in a region hammered by two hurricanes last year and a deep freeze this winter.

Mr. Biden spoke in Lake Charles, Louisiana, near the Calcasieu River Bridge before touring the Carrollton Water Plant in New Orleans.

Joe Biden criticised Donald Trump for his administration’s failures to address the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, as the president promotes his $2.2 trillion “once in a generation” investment that would touch nearly every aspect of American life and tap millions of workers. “Across the country, we have failed – we have failed to properly invest in infrastructure for half a century,” the president said in remarks from Lake Charles, Louisiana, which endured two hurricanes in 2020 in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. “Over the last four years, how many times did you hear this was going to be ‘infrastructure week?’” he said.

The numbers were the most concrete outline Biden has offered so far as to what he's willing to negotiate around in his infrastructure bill.

His stops in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana will highlight his over $2 trillion American Jobs Plan.

Mr. Biden will speak in Lake Charles, Louisiana, near the Calcasieu River Bridge and then tour the Carrollton Water Plant in New Orleans.

LAKE CHARLES – The Louisiana-based Cajun Navy is reaching out to help their neighbors in Texas facing difficulties from the winter storm. According to its website, the Cajun Navy Foundation is a 501(3c) charity, whose mission is “to empower communities across the country with the knowledge of how to use technology, social media and mobile apps to take action in their own communities in the midst and aftermath of a disaster.”They’ve had plenty of disasters to deal with in Louisiana and now hope to use that experience to aid those in Texas. In a Facebook post, Cajun Navy made sure to state they’re still there in Louisiana to help the people there, just that now they will mobilize folks in Texas to replicate their Louisiana efforts. Volunteers can register to help by filling out an online form.

They were hit by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. She, her husband and a son are living in tents on the property, while her other son, his fiance and their one-year old son are living in a loaned camper there. A relative's home on the same property is now gutted and they are living in a camper as well. From a relative's house where they had taken refuge, the Trahans watched as Laura flipped over and destroyed their mobile home. The Trahans have received used clothing, occasional meals and other help from volunteers, but they still confront daily challenges.

– As southwest Louisiana recovers from the back-to-back hurricanes that hammered the region this year, signs of progress compete with lingering evidence of mass destruction. Hurricane Laura roared ashore in southwestern Louisiana on Aug. 27 as a Category 4 storm just south of Lake Charles. According to Louisiana government figures, nearly 47,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Laura, with about 16,000 of those in need of major repairs. The bulk of those homes are in Calcasieu Parish, home to the state's fifth-largest city, Lake Charles, with 80,000 residents. A Facebook group set up after Hurricane Laura has become a lifeline for struggling residents.

Gerald Herbert | APAn unforgiving hurricane season shattered records this year, producing the most named storms ever seen in the Atlantic and battering parts of Central America and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Atlantic season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. But one thing is clear: No previous hurricane season in recorded history has had so many storms. The strongest hurricane was Hurricane Iota, which struck Central America and Colombia as the latest known Atlantic hurricane to become a Category 5. "Many millions of people along both the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Coast were impacted by these storms," Bell said.

HOUSTON – Racers from all over the nation have made their way to Baytown, Texas to see just how fast and furious they are for this year’s competition. She’s not new to racing and is determined to take on the NHRA Spring Nationals on Friday, October 23, 2020. NHRA Spring Nationals (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) NHRA Spring Nationals (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) There has been new safety protocols in place that you can find here for spectators participating in the NHRA Spring Nationals.

HOUSTON – Sheletta Brundidge and her family are driving from Minnesota to Lake Charles, Louisiana to try and put smiles on the faces of children impacted by the recent hurricanes. But like many Houstonians, she has strong family ties to Lake Charles. That’s Kimberly’s mother, along with my uncle Charles. She said she expects to be in Lake Charles by Friday morning. The book and toy giveaway will take place at the Central Library located at 301 Claude Street at 9 am.

A 70-year-old woman in Iberia Parish died in a fire likely caused by a natural gas leak following damage from Hurricane Delta, the Louisiana Department of Health said Sunday. Clair Hebert Marceaux lost her home in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, during Hurricane Laura and said the community was hard at work on rebuilding when Delta struck. “We can’t lose our momentum,” she said, though she added there was “utter devastation” in the area. Earnestine and Milton Wesley had decided to ride out Delta in their Lake Charles home, damaged by Laura. “And with God’s help we made it.”After blowing ashore, Delta moved over Lake Charles, a city where Laura damaged nearly every home and building.

“When the wind shifted, after that eye passed we heard the tree hit the roof,” said resident Lisa Bourg. Considering it held up against Hurricane Laura, they never imagined it would come down during Delta. I think Laura started it all and Delta finished it,” she said. A place that was already in the process of recovering from Laura, starting all over again because of Delta. "They say that the difference between Delta and Laura is the latter was more of a wind event.

Marcus Peterson walks past a downed tree in his yard after Hurricane Delta moved through, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Jennings, La. It then moved over Lake Charles, a city where Hurricane Laura damaged nearly every home and building in late August. While Delta was a weaker storm than Category 4 Laura, it brought significantly more flooding, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. Forecasters warned that heavy rain, storm surges and flash floods continued to pose dangers in areas from Texas to Mississippi. They arrived back in Lake Charles last weekend, got a new roof on Monday and had to evacuate again Thursday.

HOUSTON – We’ve assembled a list of live webcams from across the Gulf Coast so you can keep track of the conditions as Hurricane Laura approaches. In addition to the webcams listed below, you can follow any of our livestream offerings throughout the day at Click2Houston.com/watchlive. KPRC 2 is not responsible for the video provided by any of the cameras listed below. As with any hurricane, the feed from the cameras may be interrupted during bad weather. GalvestonPort NechesGrand Isle Beach, LouisianaLake Charles, Louisiana area (powered by KPLC-TV)L’auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, LouisianaLake Arthur, LouisianaLouisiana DOT traffic camerasLafayette, Louisiana

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. EDT, and provided by NOAA, shows Hurricane Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. – Ripping tarps from already damaged roofs and scattering debris piled by roadsides, Hurricane Delta inflicted a new round of destruction on Louisiana as it struck communities still reeling after Hurricane Laura took a similar path just six weeks earlier. Delta's reach stretched as far west as Galveston, Texas, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from where the storm struck Louisiana. Tropical Storm Marco fizzled as it hit the southeast Louisiana tip just three days before Laura struck. “The wind is much worse than what Hurricane Laura brought,” Gove said in a message on Twitter.

Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. The projected path included the southwest area of Louisiana where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall less than two months ago. Randazzo watched pieces of one of his restaurants, Panorama Music House, fly past a meteorologist’s car on a Facebook Live video during Hurricane Laura. The most recent forecast for Hurricane Delta has the storm making landfall “almost precisely” where Hurricane Laura struck — a region where homes and electrical infrastructure are still damaged, Edwards said in a radio interview. New Orleans, well to the east of the projected landfall area, was expected to escape the worst of Hurricane Delta.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Under a mandatory evacuation order, many in Lake Charles and across Calcasieu Parish are preparing to head out because of Hurricane Delta. So we were trying to put some plywood on them to keep them safe,” said Lake Charles resident Stephen Guillory. For Lake Charles residents like Kerry Anderson, evacuating is an all too frequent occurrence. With recovery from Hurricane Laura barely underway, many living in Charles struggle to understand yet another hurricane could be headed their way.

The storm being watched Wednesday was Hurricane Delta, the 25th named storm of the Atlantic's unprecedented hurricane season. Forecasts placed most of Louisiana within Delta's path, with the latest National Hurricane Center estimating landfall in the state on Friday. Along with getting hit by Hurricane Laura and escaping Hurricane Sally, Louisiana saw heavy flooding June 7 from Tropical Storm Cristobal. Tropical Storm Beta prompted tropical storm warnings in mid-September as it slowly crawled up the northeast Texas coast. “Not seeing any signs of any additional tropical weather in the extended which is OK with us because we are SO DONE with Hurricane Season 2020,” they wrote.

PEARLAND – As floodwaters have finally receded in Pearland after Tropical Storm Beta reared its ugly head, the community is thankful for Houston rapper Trae Tha Truth, who spent days helping flooding victims. Trae The Truth, who’s real name is Frazier Thompson III, is now back in Louisville, Kentucky continuing his mission to help others. He decided to relocate to Louisville months ago. And, when Beta left her mark in Greater Houston, Thompson did not hesitate to return back home. Right after his efforts in Houston, Thompson jumped back on the plane to Kentucky to continue his efforts for justice.

Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.

MIAMI – An exceptionally busy Atlantic hurricane season was churning along Saturday as the Texas coast prepared for a tropical storm that could strengthen into a hurricane before breaching its shores in the week ahead. Both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders ahead of Tropical Storm Beta, as did the city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston. Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning from Port Aransas, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. Beta had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 2 mph (4 kph) Saturday night. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda.

Ahead of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, members of the Lake Charles Fire Department cleaned up the local 9/11 memorial of storm debris from the recent Hurricane Laura that wrecked the Louisiana city. The post reads, in part, ““After finishing a long day of assessments in the heat, our teams decided the 9/11 memorial in Lake Charles needed to be cleaned up of storm debris before the anniversary. #neverforget”The memorial in Lake Charles includes two World Trade Center beams and one slab of Pentagon limestone that the city acquired from the US government following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The memorial located at the Lake Charles Civic Center Grounds was built to honor the memory of two local men. The pieces are engraved with names of the men killed in the 9/11 attacks – Russ Keene who died at the World Trade Center and Kevin Yokum who died at the Pentagon.

HOUSTON – More than 115 employees at Gulfgate Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram braved the heat Thursday to pack two large trucks full of relief supplies for the people of Lake Charles, Louisiana. “We had to do this, it’s important," said James Davis, President of Gulfgate Dodge. Managers of the project decided that Davis would pay to fill one truck and the employees would fill the other. Tracy Faultry is one of the people who helped organize the effort. “It looked like a bomb went off in her neighborhood, everything is destroyed," Faultry said.

HOUSTON – Volunteers spent Thursday sorting and boxing the final round of recovery supplies donated at the George R. Brown Convention Center to ship to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Mayor Turner formed the Houston Paying it Forward Hurricane Laura support drive in partnership with The Mayor’s Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force volunteers spent two weeks collecting critically needed supplies to help storm survivors recover. “After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, people from all over the country sent us supplies,” Community Relations Director and H.E.R. “Mayor Turner has given us an opportunity to pay it forward by organizing donation drives after major storms hit other areas of the country.

HOUSTON – By Wednesday evening, employees at Gallery Furniture had packed a second truck of bottled water, diapers, toilet paper and other must-haves filled for those affected by Hurricane Laura in Texas and Louisiana. The North Freeway location serves as a drop-off location for the Houston’s Hurricane Laura Relief Fund. “The products will be on the way to Lake Charles, Cameron and Orange starting tomorrow,” said Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. Donation sites at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Gallery Furniture will be open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Kroger Stores have collection boxes at each of its locations. George R. Brown Convention CenterGround-level, Hall D off Chartres Street and Walker Street1001 Avenida de las Americas DriveHouston, Texas 77010Gallery Furniture6006 North FreewayHouston, Texas 77076A-Rocket Moving & Storage3401 Corder StreetHouston, TX, 77021Requested supplies

– Recovery Houston volunteers made their way to Lake Charles, Louisiana to help those who were hardest hit by Hurricane Laura. That event became the first chapter of the Recovery Houston organization, founded by Creech. Creech KPRC 2’s coverage of Recovery Houston was recognized by President Barack Obama as one of his most memorable humanitarian stories of 2017. When Hurricane Laura hit, Creech knew Recovery Houston had to get involved. “I woke up this morning feeling really good that I was able to help somebody,” Bradley Dennison, a Recovery Houston volunteer said.

Like many others that evacuated to Houston following Hurricane Laura, they checked into local hotels with the costs covered by the state through Friday. If families need help with transportation, the Red Cross can help them get there. The TDEM said displaced families that still need help need to call a hotline number so that everything can be processed. ”We do thank Houston. I do thank Texas.

Some key takeaways of the immediate analysis of Laura's effects have emerged:IT WILL TAKE MONTHS TO KNOW EFFECTS:Scientists say some coastal impact from Hurricane Laura is inevitable. Bren Haase, who heads the states Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said the eastern Cameron shoreline got pounded pretty hard." SALINITY'S A PROBLEMAnother question is how long storm surge waters sit before eventually draining away. Laura took a slight jog to the East just before making landfall which probably prevented some of the worst storm surge from pushing all the way into Lake Charles. This might be in part because the storm blew through so quickly and the storm surge was so high that it simply rode over the marshes, rather than tearing them up.

HOUSTON – A Houston native tragically lost four members of her family to carbon monoxide poisoning after Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The people who died were all members of a large, tight-knit, Lake Charles family. Sheletta Brundidge said four of her family members were found dead and one was seriously hurt from carbon monoxide poisoning after the storm. After the family survived the monster hurricane that was Laura without any issues, far-flung family members thought the worst was over. Rosa’s husband Charles was found in critical condition and rushed to the hospital.

HOUSTON – A Louisiana family said they evacuated for Hurricane Laura only to end up living out of their vehicle in Houston. They said they left their information with the American Red Cross and waited, but didn’t hear back. KPRC 2 contacted the American Red Cross and the state of Texas and stayed with the family as they spoke to both the group and the agency. In the end, Thomas said the Red Cross will cover rooms for the night at the hotel where the family was parked. So far, the state of Texas said it has provided more than 10,000 evacuees with more than 3,500 hotel rooms.

It could take up to two months before water and power is restored to the area. “It’s just emotional coming down the road just glad to still have a roof,” Jimmy Cormier said. “There’s no running water but there (are) places that give water, but there is no way to keep it cold,” Mouton said. “Just trying to get things moved out the way and rebuild.”Mouton said they have family in Ragley, Louisiana. She was told it could take up to two months before power and water are restored.

Layla Winbush walks over the debris of her family's destroyed auto detailing business in Lake Charles, La., in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Federal and state officials are now on the ground to help residents with home repairs and hotel stays. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent hundreds of workers to the region to help with search and rescue and other efforts. Many people in Lake Charles were still staying outside town, but James Townley said he would remain in his home, as he did during the storm. They have requested help from FEMA, but Lavergne said she didn't have a checking account in which to receive federal money.

The day started early for the Houston SPCA as crews loaded up pet crates before heading east. Just like how our friends helped us during Harvey, we’re there to help them as well,” said Julie Kuenstle, the vice president of communications for the Houston SPCA. After meeting up in Boyce, Louisiana, the animals were carefully transferred for their return trip to Texas. It’s amazing to know that we have a great partner like Houston SPCA that’s helping us to do that as well,” Destreza said. “We all have the same mission and that is to take care of the animals who need us,” Kuenstle said.

LAKE CHARLES – Without power and low accessibility to gas and other essentials, residents in Lake Charles and surrounding communities band together as they begin the long road to recovery. Nearly every street in Lake Charles shows the devastation of Hurricane Laura, which stormed through Wednesday night. However, residents and volunteers, coming from as far as Texas, came together to help families clean up their homes and businesses littered with debris. While one local man cooked food for anyone in need.

It was really, really bad instead of apocalyptic, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said. Lauren Sylvester heeded the mandatory evacuation, leaving her townhouse in Lake Charles on Wednesday to stay with her mom in New Iberia. Between the evacuation order and the storm surge projections, she didnt want to take a risk. In the end, the city got maybe half the storm surge it could have received, he said. The worst storm surge is to the east of a hurricane's eyewall because of the combination of the storm's counterclockwise whirl and northward movement.

President Donald Trump plans on Saturday to tour the damage in Louisiana and neighboring Texas. Across southwestern Louisiana, people were cleaning up from the destructive hurricane that roared ashore early Thursday, packing 150-mph (240-kph) winds. Lauren Sylvester returned to her townhouse in Lake Charles on Friday after heeding a mandatory evacuation order and staying with her mother in a city about 95 miles (130 kilometers) away. Simply driving was a feat in Lake Charles, a city of 80,000 residents hit head on by the hurricanes eye. John Bel Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Houston rapper and philanthropist Trae Tha Truth and his Relief Gang are headed to Lake Charles, Louisiana, Friday to assist those in need after Hurricane Laura. “Meet us at Buccee’s in Baytown tomorrow (8/28) at 9am,” he wrote. Thompson has contributed to many efforts recently, including those focused on social injustices. The rapper has been protesting and organizing events centered around justice for Kentucky woman and shooting victim Breonna Taylor and Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen.

HOUSTON – KPRC 2′s chopper flew over ravaged parts of Lake Charles and Cameron in Louisiana to capture the damage in the wake of the monster Hurricane Laura. The Category 4 hurricane slammed into the Texas-Louisiana border early Thursday morning. RELATED: How you can help Hurricane Laura victimsHere’s an aerial view of Cameron, Louisiana as of Thursday afternoon:

Hurricane Laura was an extremely destructive storm as it made landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane early Thursday morning. From Galveston to Louisiana, the KPRC 2 team has been covering the storm. Here are videos from reporters covering Laura’s destruction:Port Arthur, TexasVinton, LouisianaLake Charles, LouisianaCameron Parish, LouisianaCameron Parish, Louisiana - near Sabine PassLake Charles, Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Laura devastated much of southeast Louisiana, thousands of residents in Lake Charles were left in the dark and struggling to make it back to their homes through tangles of trees, downed power lines and other debris. Almost every street in Lake Charles suffered some form of damage. Hundreds of homes suffered damage ranging from the cosmetic to the devastating. By late afternoon, many who live outside of Lake Charles still couldnt get home to even assess what is left of their property. There is dusk until dawn curfew is in effect in Lake Charles.

HOUSTON – Renee Lavine, a KPRC 2 photojournalist who grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, shared what it was like watching her hometown get battered by Hurricane Laura, which came ashore just south of the city. I’m worried. I just couldn’t even eat the whole bowl because I was just anxious.”Lavine said many of her relatives evacuated Lake Charles ahead of the storm. She continued, “I’m feeling like this is going to be very similar to Rita’s damage.”Lavine’s parents evacuated from Lake Charles to Houston ahead of Laura’s landfall. By coincidence, relatives of Erica Young, a producer at KPRC 2, evacuated from Cameron Parish to Lake Charles.

HOUSTON – See how some of the most beloved spots in Louisiana fared in Hurricane Laura as KPRC 2 travels through the storm-impacted areas. FROSTY FACTORY IN LAKE CHARLESFrosty Factory (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) Frosty Factory after Hurricane Laura (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) MCNEESE STATE FOOTBALL STADIUM – LAKE CHARLESMCNEESE STATE FOOTBALL STADIUM – LAKE CHARLES (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) MCNEESE STATE BASEBALL FIELD – LAKE CHARLESMCNEESE STATE BASEBALL FIELD – LAKE CHARLES (Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

– Louisiana officials now know of 6 deaths tied to Hurricane Laura. The fatalities included a 24-year-old male that died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator inside his residence, Mike Steele, communications director for the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said. A man, whose age is unknown, died of drowning while aboard a sinking ship. Earlier Thursday, a 14-year-old girl died when a tree crashed onto her family’s mobile home near Leesville, the Vernon Parish Sherriff’s Office said. Laura blasted through the Louisiana coast and made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane early Thursday, wreaking damage on the industrial, casino city of Lake Charles.

Latasha Myles and Howard Anderson stand in their living room where they were sitting when the roof blew off around 2:30 a.m. as Hurricane Laura passed through the area in Lake Charles, Louisiana. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

It is clear that we did not sustain and suffer the absolute, catastrophic damage that we thought was likely," Louisiana Gov. He called Laura the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005. The storm toppled trees and damaged structures as far north as central Arkansas. The storm crashed ashore in low-lying Louisiana and clobbered Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. Bucky Millet, 78, of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, considered evacuating but decided to ride out the storm with family due to concerns about the coronavirus.

A fire and chemical leak at a chlorine plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana, is under control Friday after catching fire in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. Precautionary shelter-in-place orders are still in effect for Sulphur, Westlake and Moss Bluff. Video from Sky 2 showed smoke coming from the BioLab plant near Interstate 10. KPLC-TV reported that crews were spraying water on the area of the chlorine leak in order to dilute the chemical. Our priority is the safety and well-being of the Lake Charles community of which we are a part.

Heres a glimpse at the catastrophic scenes in Louisiana:Those riding out the storm in Lake Charles experienced extreme winds exceeding 100 mph. #lawx pic.twitter.com/og06tSSje9 Cory Smith (@wxcory) August 27, 2020Strong winds ripped street signs from its post near the Civic Center in Lake Charles. Winds in Lake Charles caused a motor home to topple over. This is in Lake Charles, Louisiana where #HurricaneLaura is moving through pic.twitter.com/KyDZT1P4ga Cynthia McLaughlin (@cynthiasmu) August 27, 2020Buildings in Lake Charles faced damage brought on by the storm. Residential areas in Lake Charles face incredible wreckage in the aftermath of the storm.

Victoria Nelson with her children Autum Nelson, 2, Shawn Nelson, 7, and Asia Nelson, 6, line up to board a bus to evacuate Lake Charles, La., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, ahead of Hurricane Laura. Laura strengthened Wednesday into a menacing Category 4 hurricane, raising fears of a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be "unsurvivable and capable of sinking entire communities. Authorities implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate and worried that not enough had fled. Storm surge warnings were in effect from Freeport, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters said storm surge topped by waves could submerge entire towns.

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)SABINE PASS, TX - AUGUST 27: Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020 in Sabine Pass, Texas. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)SABINE PASS, TX - AUGUST 27: Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020 in Sabine Pass, Texas. 4 stormKPRC 2 reporter Robert Arnold leans into the wind in Lake Charles, Louisiana, during Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27, 2020. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 26: Members of the Louisiana National Guard prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Laura on August 26, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (2020 Getty Images)

HOUSTON Neil Patrick Broussard, 51, is behind bars in Lake Charles, Louisana, after a crime spree that sparked a 24-hour manhunt Wednesday. Broussard is a registered sex offender, who had already had charges pending in Houston and Lake Charles. Early Wednesday morning, he went to a friends house in suburban Lake Charles and confronted forty-year-old Catherine Hidalgo. On Wednesday, Broussard released the 14-year-old girl unharmed in Lake Charles. He remained at-large until Thursday morning when he walked into a Lake Charles Dollar General Store and surrendered.

HOUSTON The Golden Nugget Lake Charles is reopening Friday at 4 p.m. amid the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel, pool and restaurant will begin welcoming guests, while the casino floor will resume Monday, the company announced Wednesday. We have anxiously awaited this reopening and look forward to welcoming the Lake Charles and surrounding communities back to our hotel and casino, said CEO and owner Tilman Fertitta in a press release. The restaurants set to reopen include Landrys Seafood House, Vic & Anthonys, Saltgrass Steak House, and Bills Bar & Burger. This is a step in the right direction to getting our employees back to work," Tilman said.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump defended his attorney Rudy Giuliani on Saturday as a legendary crime buster and wonderful lawyer after a media report that prosecutors are investigating whether the former New York mayor broke lobbying laws in his dealings in Ukraine. So now they are after the legendary crime buster and greatest Mayor in the history of NYC, Rudy Giuliani, Trump said in a statement on Twitter. He may seem a little rough around the edges sometimes, but he is also a great guy and wonderful lawyer. Such a one sided Witch Hunt going on in USA.

President Donald Trump defended his attorney Rudy Giuliani on Saturday after a media report revealed that federal prosecutors are investigating whether the former New York mayor broke lobbying laws in his dealings in Ukraine. "So now they are after the legendary 'crime buster' and greatest Mayor in the history of NYC, Rudy Giuliani," Trump wrote on Twitter. The investigation of Giuliani raises the stakes of the Ukraine scandal for Trump, who is facing an impeachment inquiry for his dealings with the country. House Democrats leading an impeachment inquiry into Trump issued subpoenas to Parnas and Fruman on Thursday. Giuliani has denied that he had any business dealings in Ukraine.

1980: Actor Zachary Levi, best known for the TV series "Chuck" and movies such as "Tangled" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," is born Zachary Levi Pugh in Lake Charles, Louisiana.