Laura, a category 4 hurricane with a maximum wind speed of 150 miles per hour and one of the strongest to hit the US, slammed the Gulf Coast early Thursday
Authorities in several counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents living on the coast and in low-lying regions
The storm was located about 175 miles west of Tampa, Florida
National Hurricane Centre said the storm's winds reached about 75 mph in the afternoon, just above the 74 mph hurricane threshold