Laura Rapidly Intensified Over a Super-Warm Gulf. Only the Storm Surge Faltered

Intensified by the warming waters of the Gulf, Laura was the most powerful storm to hit Louisiana in 150 years—stronger than hurricanes Rita and Katrina. But a last-minute wobble to the east reduced storm surge and flooding in cities like Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Port Arthur, Texas, and spared some major population centers from further devastation.