Texas and Louisiana residents are bracing for disaster as Hurricane Laura strengthened to a category four storm overnight.
620,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders with the storm currently 320 kilometres south-east of Port Arthur, Texas.
Benjamin Schott of the National Weather Service says, 'to think that there would be a wall of water over two stories high coming on shore is very difficult for most to conceive, but that is what is going to happen.'