How Hurricane Laura’s ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge forecast compares to Katrina and Ike

Hurricane Laura will slam parts of the coast in Texas and Louisiana with an “unsurvivable” storm surge as the Category 4 storm pushes through the Gulf, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather officials issued the dire warning Wednesday morning, urging people to evacuate. The storm surge could reach up to 20 feet high in some areas and penetrate up to 30 miles inland, officials say.

“If you need to evacuate, do so NOW,” the National Weather Service tweeted. “Surge will begin today, well ahead of the strongest winds.”

The highest storm surge of 15-20 feet is predicted in the area of Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana. Residents living anywhere from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, are in danger of “large, destructive waves” that will cause catastrophic damage, officials say.

How does Hurricane Laura compare to Ike and Katrina?

The storm surge will rival Hurricanes Ike and Katrina if the forecast is correct.

For Katrina, scientists do not have a precise measurement of storm surge, according to the National Hurricane Center. The 2005 storm knocked out tide gauges and destroyed so many buildings that few structures were left to analyze water marks.

However, the evidence researchers did manage to collect indicates the surge reached 24 to 28 feet along the Mississippi coast in a 20-mile swath at St. Louis Bay.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike’s highest storm surge reached 15 to 20 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center. Similar to Katrina, scientist don’t have exact measurements in the hardest hit areas because salt water and large waves destroyed sensors.

The highest water mark of 17.5 feet was recorded about 10 miles inland in Chambers County, Texas, officials say.

‘Catastrophic’ Laura is now a Category 4 hurricane. Here’s what that means