Hurricane Laura moves inland

A 14-year-old girl in Louisiana is the first reported victim of the powerful storm when a tree fell on her house, according to Gov. John Bel Edwards. By mid-morning Thursday, Hurricane Laura had weakened to a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as it moved north into Arkansas. Edwards and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said search and rescue teams were working, but they so far had heard no reports of widespread fatalities.

What’s the damage? More than 600,000 homes and businesses are without power in Louisiana and Texas. In Lake Charles, La., drone footage showed downed trees, houses with missing roofs, and flooded streets. FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor said the destruction seemed to be less catastrophic than many feared, but told ABC’s Good Morning America that teams likely would find significant wind damage once they could thoroughly survey the area. Officials issued a tropical storm warning as far north as Little Rock, Ark.

Dig deeper: Follow storm warnings as Laura heads north at the National Weather Service.