Hundreds of Thousands Asked to Evacuate as Hurricane Laura Approaches Gulf Coast

As Hurricane Laura is upgraded to a category four storm, hundreds of thousands of residents have been asked to evacuate. Laura, which is currently a category one, is moving on from Cuba through the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to hit Texas and Louisiana as a category three by late tonight. This is also expected to occur simultaneously with Marco which was downgraded to a tropical storm. Already, the two storms have struck the Caribbean, destroying numerous structures and killing at least 20 people. In Cuba and the Dominican Republic, at least 160,000 people have been evacuated. Jamaica has also reported landslides and flooded roads. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for more than 585,000 residents currently living in the most at risk areas of Texas and Louisiana. President Trump has issued a disaster declaration for Louisiana and has ordered federal assistance to aid in relief efforts. The Red Cross has also re-positioned at least 700 workers to those areas as well.