Hurricane Laura for The New York Times

William Widmer September 2, 2020

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 26, 2020 - Local residents gathered at the Burton Complex, an event center in Lake Charles, for assisted evacuation. The city of Lake Charles and members of the US military ran a joint effort to move citizens out

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 25, 2020 - Sandbags block the door of an office building in downtown Lake Charles in advance of Hurricane Laura's arrival.

NYTSTORM - Rayne, LA - August 25, 2020 - Eastbound traffic on Interstate 10 crawled forward in advance of Hurricane Laura's arrival in Calcasieu Parish.

NYTSTORM - Abbeville, LA - August 25, 2020 - Local residents finish boarding up windows at an auto shop near downtown Abbeville as the first waves of rain begin to fall in advance of Tropical Depression Marco's arrival

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 26, 2020 - Renee Allred (19, center) and her family settle into a coach bus bound for Baton Rouge. Local residents gathered at the Burton Complex, an event center in Lake Charles, for assisted evacuation. The cit

NYTSTORM - Westlake, LA - August 26, 2020 - The outer bands of Hurricane Laura approached Lake Charles and the surrounding landscape of oil and chemical refineries located along the Calcasieu River.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 26, 2020 - Local residents gathered at the Burton Complex, an event center in Lake Charles, for assisted evacuation. The city of Lake Charles and members of the US military ran a joint effort to move citizens out

NYTSTORM - Westlake, LA - August 27, 2020 - A fire burned at a BioLab industrial site across the Calcasieu River from downtown Lake Charles. Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surro

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Members of Empact Northwest, a non-profit search and rescue team based in Kingston, Washington search through a storm-damaged gas station after neighbors reported someone may have been trapped inside w

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 28, 2020 - The entire front wall of a beauty supply shop collapsed when the hurricane passed through town.Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the sur

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Lincoln Cole (64) attempts to mop water from his apartment and the hallway in Chateau Du Lac, an eight story residential building near downtown Lake Charles that sustained massive damage in the previo

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 28, 2020 - The entire roof of a three story Motel 6 was ripped off as the hurricane passed through town. Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surr

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Members of the Army National Guard cleared downed trees and debris from the streets of downtown Lake Charles. Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Char

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 28, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 28, 2020 - Javier Palacias (43) stands outside the collapsed wall of his apartment at a Motel 6 where he's lived for the past six years while performing property maintenance. The entire roof of the building was r

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Westlake, a small community across the river from Lake Charles that is surrounded by industrial plants, is obscured by smoke from a large fire in a BioLab industrial site across the interstate. Hurrica

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Members of the Louisiana National Guard search through a storm-damaged gas station after neighbors reported someone may have been trapped inside when the roof collapsed. Hurricane Laura's high winds an

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Patrick Watson (56) sat in the shade of a storm-damaged gas station in downtown Lake Charles. Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surr

NYTSTORM - Lake Charles, LA - August 27, 2020 - Hurricane Laura's high winds and storm surge had a devastating impact on downtown Lake Charles and the surrounding area.

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NYT: Hurricane Laura in Pictures

NYT: Hurricane Laura Kills at Least 6 People in Louisiana

NYT: Hurricane Laura Was Powerful, but Louisiana Was Prepared