Washington, Aug 27 (AP) Vice President Mike Pence says people in the path of Hurricane Laura should heed warnings about the strength of the storm and he pledged the Trump administration's help.

He said, “Stay safe and know that we'll be with you every step of the way.”

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Pence spoke at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, as he “humbly” accepted the GOP's nomination for vice president at the Republican National Convention. It was not clear until just before he took the stage that he would address the looming Category 4 hurricane.

The strengthening storm menaced Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf Coast, raising fears of a 20-foot (6-metre) storm surge that forecasters said would be “unsurvivable".

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Authorities implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate, but not everyone did before winds began buffeting trees back and forth. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)