Hurricane Laura aftermath: Before-and-after satellite images capture extent of damage

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Lake Charles residents survey damage from Hurricane Laura

Category 4 hurricane's strong winds shred buildings in coastal Louisiana; Leland Vittert reports.

Before and after satellite images are capturing the extent of the damage Hurricane Laura has inflicted on in the Louisiana city of Lake Charles.

Laura, which is now a Tropical Depression, made landfall overnight Wednesday as a Category 4 Hurricane. In Lake Charles, a wind gust with a speed of 133 mph was recorded.

“The last 24 hours have felt like a week out of a bad science fiction novel,” the city’s mayor, Nic Hunter, wrote in a Facebook post Thursday night.

Homes near Flounder Drive in Lake Charles in June 2019. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

Homes near Flounder Drive in Lake Charles after Hurricane Laura. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

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Hunter said he could not estimate a time when power and running water would be restored.

“So basically, if you come back to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks,” he wrote. “’Look and Leave’ truly is the best option for many.”

The Lake Charles Regional Airport in June 2019. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

The Lake Charles Regional Airport after Hurricane Laura. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

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Satellite images show numerous structures were flattened at the Lake Charles Regional Airport, with debris strewn across its runways.

Other images show damage to a neighborhood and homes near a local high school.

The Grand Lake High School south of Lake Charles, in January. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

The Grand Lake High School area following Hurricane Laura's passage. (AP/Maxar Technologies)

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.