UPDATE 10:50 a.m.: The worst part of the storm is approaching. The swirl of the tornado can be seen on radar. The temperature has dropped to the mid-70s but humidity is high.
According to the NWS, tropical storm conditions will continue throughout the day and widespread impacts are likely. Winds are expected to be strong enough to cause property damage, snap trees and make roads impassable due to large debris.
The NWS says flooding may be enough to flood some buildings. Major flooding could prompt evacuations.
Tornados are also possible.
The NWS recommends residents stay focused, keep their cell phones charged, find a safe, stable place to wait out the storm and be prepared to shelter quickly.
Union County is currently under a hazardous weather outlook, a flash flood warning, a tropical storm warning and a tornado watch.
Union County is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning, and severe weather, including strong winds and thunderstorms, is expected to continue into the weekend.
Officials warn that in addition to storm conditions, such as flash flooding and sustained 35-45 mile-per-hour winds, there could be extended power outages.
Aaron Stevens, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Shreveport office, said local residents should prepare by bringing inside any outdoor furniture or decorations to prevent their being blown away by the wind.
However, in the event of power outages, Stevens warned that gas-powered generators should not be brought inside one's home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
El Dorado Fire Chief Chad Mosby also warned that should one see water across a roadway in the city or county, they should not attempt to cross it; "turn around, don't drown," he said. He said water at 2 inches can carry a vehicle off the road.
Mosby also said if local residents see a downed power line, they should refrain from touching it in case it is live.
Chris Wasson, customer service representative for Entergy, said two local workers had been deployed to Louisiana to assist in recovery efforts there; however, Entergy will still have enough workers in Union County to respond to local power outages as well, he said.
According to a press release from Entergy, the company is working to gather almost 1,200 workers to respond to restoration needs throughout the state. Emergency services will be prioritized, followed by repairs that will impact the greatest number of customers.
The El Dorado School District announced around 9 p.m. that in-person classes would be cancelled Thursday. Breakfasts are available this morning for pick-up at Retta Brown for elementary and middle school students and at El Dorado High School for junior high and high school students.
According to the ESD, classes will still be held virtually today. Students that don't have access to a device will not be penalized for missing class and will have the opportunity to make up the work missed. A decision on whether in-person classes will resume Friday will be issued today.
The Junction City School District also announced that on-site instruction would be closed Thursday; students are instead to log into Google classroom for school. According to the JCSD, on-site classes will resume Friday.
The JCSD also announced that Junction City High School's senior pictures have been rescheduled. Senior football player and cheerleader headshots are scheduled for Friday.
On-site instruction has also been cancelled for students in the Smackover-Norphlet School District. See here for more information about alternative instruction today.
The Strong-Huttig School District also announced that all classes will be held virtually today. Students that do not have access to the necessary tools to participate in virtual classes will not be penalized and will have the opportunity to complete their work when on-site instruction resumes. A decision about whether on-site classes will resume Friday will be announced today.
The Parkers Chapel School district has also cancelled on-site instruction today. Students are asked to log into Google Classroom to participate in virtual learning; if they experience problems with their internet connection, they will not be penalized. On-site instruction is supposed to resume Friday.
Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 in Louisiana, near Texas, in the early hours Thursday morning, with winds at 150 miles-per-hour, according to the Associated Press.
Norphlet update at 1:40 p.m. Thursday
Residents of Norphlet were dealing with widespread power outages around 1:40 p.m. Thursday but, according to Mayor Jim Crotty, damage is currently limited to downed trees and tree limbs.
“We have the generator for the water well going and some tree limbs down. My fire chief is out, they’ve had some calls on downed limbs. We’re just watching it, I just finished driving all the roads in Norphlet. There are no trees blocking roads or anything right now,” Crotty said.
Crotty said the city had already been in contact with Entergy regarding the power outage, which he believes is being caused by a downed transistor line near the city landfill.
He said the city is monitoring the situation and has teams ready to respond to help with any downed trees or other potential damage.
“I hope by late this afternoon the power is back on. But we have men and equipment ready to go to help, we’re just watching and riding it out,” Crotty said.
Junction City update, 3 p.m. Thursday
Junction City council member Darrell Holliday was driving back into Junction City at around 3 p.m. Thursday via Hwy. 167 and surveying the scene.
Holliday reported that power was out in Junction City at that time. He also reported “three or four trees down” as well as downed branches across the town, though that was the extent of the damage he knew of as of 3 p.m. Thursday.
The News-Times will continue to provide live updates as we're able as the storm continues Thursday. Check back here for updates throughout the day.