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Louisiana Residents Assess Hurricane Laura Damage as First Responders Get to
Work

Matt Haines

   As a shell-shocked Gulf Coast region began to assess the damage from
   Hurricane Laura, the downgraded Category 4 storm bolted north out of
   Louisiana Thursday, leaving in its wake snapped tree trunks, leveled
   neighborhoods, shattered buildings and more than 875,000 people without
   power.

   Winds above 240 kph barreled off the Gulf of Mexico into the
   80,000-person city of Lake Charles, making it the most powerful
   hurricane to hit Louisiana since 1856.

   And while the hurricane proved less lethal and destructive than state
   and local officials at first feared Wednesday evening, a video posted
   on the internet showed the storm knocking a full-size RV on its side.

   First responders reported winds peeling the roof off the casino they
   were being staged in overnight. Trees were thrown into homes and
   blocked major roads, and a riverboat that became unmoored was pushed
   into the supports holding up an interstate freeway.

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