NEW: A 14-year-old girl died after a tree fell on her home during Hurricane Laura, which is the first reported fatality in Louisiana, Gov. Bel Edwards says on MSNBC
Storm surge doesn’t appear to be as high as forecast
The highest storm surge seen so far was just over 11 feet at the Calcasieu Pass tide gauge — a massive amount of water, but lower than the Wednesday prediction from the National Hurricane Center of 15 to 20 feet.First, a 15-20 foot surge was the worst-case scenario prediction, but it wasn’t guaranteed to get that high.
And forecasters believe Laura’s slight shift east before landfall might have fended off the worst possibilities. The new path it took could mean water wasn’t pushed straight up the river and into Lake Charles.
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