Watch Now


Breaking News: Most of I-10 reopens in Louisiana post-Hurricane Laura

Only a 9-mile stretch remains closed due to storm damage

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

A portion of Interstate 10 in Louisiana that was closed Wednesday has been reopened.

As Hurricane Laura’s arrival at the Gulf Coast became imminent, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) decided to shut down I-10 eastbound at the Louisiana-Texas border, as well as westbound lanes from Atchafalaya to the Louisiana-Texas border. This affected a stretch of around 125 miles.

Laura made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, in the wee hours of the morning Thursday. Winds of 150 mph caused widespread damage, blowing down trees, utility lines and power lines across the highway.

Now that the remnants of Laura are well inland, DOTD has been able to reopen a large section of I-10 where damage was minimal. The only area that remains closed, which is all lanes in both directions, spans 9 miles between Lake Charles and Sulphur (miles markers 34 to 25). This is according to the DOTD’s 511 website.


Sections of Interstate 210, U.S. Highway 90 and several state routes are also closed due to storm debris blocking the roads. More information is available here

Due to disruptions to the freight market from Hurricane Laura, FreightWaves is providing free access to key features of SONAR through Friday, Sept. 4. Click here to learn more.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.


Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.