Tropical Storm Laura to become a hurricane as it heads toward U.S.

By then, it could be a Category 2 or 3 hurricane on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale for measuring hurricane intensity, said Chris Kerr, a meteorologist at DTN, an energy, agriculture and weather data provider.

In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards warned that tropical storm-force winds would arrive by Monday, urging coastal residents to find shelter inland.

Despite Marco's weakening, with the NHC predicting it would slow to a tropical depression by Monday night, that storm still threatened to soak the Louisiana coast.

"Do not become complacent and remain prepared for whatever comes with this storm and with Laura later this week," Bel Edwards said in a statement.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent teams to operations centers in Louisiana and Texas.

This year's hurricane season has been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many people to weigh the risks of leaving their homes and potentially exposing themselves to the virus.

Testing for COVID-19 was suspended in Louisiana on Monday and Tuesday, the governor said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York, Marc Frank in Havana and Kate Chappell in Kingston Editing by Matthew Lewis)

((jonathan.allen@reuters.com; +1 646 223 5371; Reuters Messaging: jonathan.allen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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