WATCH: Hurricane Laura shreds skyscraper, blows transformers as it batters Louisiana
ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Laura battered the Louisiana and Texas coasts as it made landfall early Thursday as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm before slowly weakening. The system weakened to a Category 2 hurricane early Thursday morning with maximum sustained winds at 110 mph. The National Hurricane Center says catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding continues over portions of Louisiana.
Video and an image from downtown Lake Charles show wild winds and severe damage to a downtown skyscraper. Flashes of blue light, likely exploding transformers, are also seen in the distance during the footage.
The NHC said on August 27 that the storm surge could penetrate up to 40 miles inland, and that floodwaters would not fully recede for several days.
Crystal Norvell shared video from the Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino show a building flattened by the powerful winds as Hurricane Laura moved through the state.
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Those closest to the storm took to social media to post videos as Laura made landfall in Louisiana.
Satellite imagery showed wildfire smoke on the United States' west coast on August 25, as well as Hurricane Laura in the Gulf of Mexico.
Video from the NOAA’s satellite Instagram account shows smoke plumes and hurricane clouds, as taken from the GOES-West satellite.