Tropical Storm Laura Strengthens to Hurricane in Gulf of Mexico

The National Hurricane Center confirmed Tuesday morning, August 25, that Tropical Storm Laura had become a hurricane. The storm system was packing 75 mph sustained winds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

This sped-up video from downtown Fort Myers shows a strong squall with wind gusts near 50 mph, according to meteorologist Matt Devitt, who recorded it on Monday, August 24. Southwest Florida braced for Laura’s impact as strong winds and flooding rains hit Key West and Panama City Beach.

Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Cayman Islands were heavily affected by the intense storm system, which was forecast to cause extreme damage for the Gulf Coast of the United States on Tuesday, reports said.

At least 11 were killed in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, including a 10-year-old girl whose home was hit by a tree and a mother and young son who were crushed by a collapsing wall, the Associated Press reported. Credit: Matt Devitt via Storyful