Baton Rouge Hotels Nearly Sold Out Amid Hurricane Laura Evacuations

With Hurricane Laura barreling toward the coast, mandatory evacuations are forcing people out of their homes to seek refuge elsewhere.

Many have been heading to Baton Rouge and that has led to the city’s hotels to be almost completely sold out, according to tourism officials, reported WAFB.

Local hotels were close to 100% occupancy as residents of southwest Louisiana traveled to get out of the storm’s direct path. In addition, thousands of first responders were also taking up temporary residence in hotels as they waited for Laura to make landfall late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

“We don’t know how bad the damage will be and how long the need will be,” Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo told the publication. “In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, we had people who checked in for two or three days and then couldn’t leave. Some of them were here for months.”

Here are the Key Messages for extremely dangerous Hurricane #Laura for Thu pm. An unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves is coming soon for Sea Rim State Park TX to Intracoastal City, LA, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes & could penetrate 40 miles inland. pic.twitter.com/k6Ds0jAjni

Earlier today, the National Hurricane Center announced that Hurricane Laura's top sustained winds have hit 150 miles per hour. That is near the top of the category 4 level, with category 5 starting at 157.  Forecasters say Laura could get there.

"Reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 150 mph,"  the Hurricane Center advised. "Some additional strengthening is possible tonight before Laura reaches the northwest Gulf coast overnight."  

In anticipation, Governor John Bel Edwards has mobilized the entire Louisiana National Guard.

“We are marshalling all of our people and assets to go in tomorrow and start a very robust search and rescue effort,” Edwards said.  “We’ve brought in search and rescue teams from other states such as Tennessee for example.”