Hurricane Laura is making its way through the Gulf of Mexico, and is predicted to hit the border of Texas and Louisiana late Wednesday, with wind speeds as high as 140 mph as it strengthens into a Category Four hurricane. With over half a million people in the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana ordered to evacuate, some residents choose to stay.  

“We decided to stay because we did not want to leave,” Beaumont resident Cameron Thompson said. “We can’t bring all of our pets, and I think the rain will be bad but I think everyone is exaggerating on the wind.”

Although the Thompson family is staying, they are preparing for the worst. 

“My family is preparing by getting a generator and moving cars to a safe place,” Thompson said.

While the Thompson family chose to stay, many others are fleeing, including the family of freshman Ashton Hatch.

Hatch’s cousins from the Houston area have temporarily relocated to Frisco. 

“I have another cousin from the Houston area who called me on Monday, and was like are you leaving because we are,” Hatch’s cousin Ashley Jenson said. “I was like wait a second maybe we ought too. Luckily my family from Frisco were very hospitable and we didn’t have to stay in a hotel.”

With this being Jensen’s first hurricane she had to learn quickly what to do.

“I just kind of moved whatever I could up to higher ground,” Jenson said. “I have been purchasing water bottles and canned foods, and things like that.”

For other people on campus such as social studies teacher Jennifer Nelken, her mind is on her family in Louisiana.

“I talked to my dad today, and he is trying to get water and batteries to prepare for the storm and no power,” Nelken said via email. “Our water isn’t that great in Natchitoches, so he is having trouble finding that. He is also struggling to find batteries. I told him to get candles. I wasn’t that concerned because the storm was supposed to be Tuesday and then turns out they were wrong, and it is headed towards LA now.  So now I am a bit nervous.”

Down closer to the projected landfall site, seasoned hurricane veterans like Karen Rush from the Bolivar Peninsula, took extreme precautions. 

 “We just took all of our important papers, birth certificates and voter registration and the title to our cars,” Rush said.

Hurricane Laura may only last for a few hours but it’s impact is something that could be seen and felt for years to come.“Hurricane Ike in 2008 wiped out everything where we live,” Rush said. “We were the 11th house on the street from the beach and everything in front of us was gone. In our neighborhood there is a house where half of it is gone and people will still talk about the hurricanes.”