HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Marco strengthened into a hurricane before weakening and really falling apart into nothing. As it stands right now, Laura doesn't plan to do the same.
As of the 10:00 AM CDT update, Laura is a Category 1 Hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph and a minimum central pressure of 990 mb.
As Laura enters the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to continue strengthening and eventually become a Category 3 Major Hurricane before making landfall on Louisiana. Landfall is forecast to happen Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. A Major Hurricane is one that has sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for a good chunk of the Louisiana Coast with the warning also extending into a small part of Texas. The rest of the Louisiana Coast and another small part of Texas sit under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Other areas of Louisiana sit under either a Hurricane Watch or Tropical Storm Watch.
Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico are bad news for gas prices. It is highly recommended one fill their tank ASAP because gas prices will likely go up.
This is because when storms enter the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs need to be evacuated and therefor shut down. This puts an abrupt halt to production. This means we pay more at the pump at least temporarily.