Hurricane Laura hits Louisiana

Hurricane Laura has struck the coast of Louisiana, with extreme winds causing flash flooding in the us state.

The category four hurricane is expected to cause an unsurvivable storm surge as it moves inland with wind speeds of up to 150 meter per hour.

If it maintains those speeds it would be one of the strongest storms to ever hit the US gulf coast.

Hurricane Laura made landfall shortly after midnight local time near the district of Cameron, in Louisiana.

Laura and another storm, Marco, earlier swept across the Caribbean, killing 24 people.

Evacuations are complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas governor, Greg Abbott has urged families who could afford it to take refuge in hotels and motels to be distanced from others.