By Staff Writer EMC 

Picture: NOAA

About Hurricane Laura

First the coronavirus and now a hurricane? In the past several years, parts of America have been hit by record-breakingly active hurricanes. In 2019, there were six of these huge storms, mostly taking place in the Southeastern United States. 

In August 2020, Hurricane Laura hit the Eastern United States along the Louisiana coastline and registered the strongest windspeed on record in Louisiana. This storm was rated a category four hurricane with wind speeds of around 150 mph, which was just 7 mph short of becoming a category five storm. This storm headed into northwestern Louisiana and from there plummeted across Arkansas over mid-Mississippi. 

The National Hurricane Center Director explained that this storm brings “all facets of danger” ranging from strong winds to big rainstorms. So far, a reported 16 people have died, a majority of whom died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. 

The Pollution Problem

Hurricane Laura has contributed to the pollution in the Gulf Coast. Before the storm arrived, manufacturing and chemical plants had to be shut down. When plants shut down, they burn through fuel and chemicals which causes toxic air to be released. In Mossville, Louisiana, for example, the pollution was already at high levels due to the chemical plants, and this storm made it worse. Plumes of strong black air were sent into the sky as gas and oil plants burned up and exploded. This has had a negative impact on the environment, polluting everything in its way. 

Cleaning Up

Hurricane Laura has caused damage to several Southeastern states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and a small area of Georgia, houses destroyed and streets wrecked. People are rebuilding fast, determined to get their property back. President Donald Trump visited parts of Louisiana that were hit the hardest, to survey the damage. President Trump tried to reassure residents, “you’re going to have this situation taken of very, very quickly.”