Hurricane Laura is rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to become a Category 4 hurricane before it makes landfall tonight along the coast of Texas and Louisiana.
National Hurricane Centre Senior specialist Stacy Stewart says Laura will bring storm surges 4.5 metres (15 feet) in height, significant rainfall, major flooding, tornadoes and damaging winds of 209 km/h (130 miles), well ahead of the eye of the storm.
He says residents in some areas "when they wake up tomorrow morning are not going to believe what happened."
Stewart adds what doesn't get blown down by the wind could easily get knocked down by water rushing inland.
He says it won't be just a coastal event with the storm moving at least 48 km (30 miles) inland.