In the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Laura strengthened rapidly overnight and is projected to become a dangerous Category 4 storm ahead of its projected landfall early Thursday near the border of Texas and Louisiana. Over 500,000 people have been told to evacuate the region. The storm brought torrential rain and flooding to Haiti, where the death toll rose to at least 21. At least three deaths were reported in the Dominican Republic. In Cuba, over 300,000 people were evacuated, but no deaths were reported.