Trump says he was 'prepared to postpone the speech tonight' in light of Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura made landfall early Thursday morning, striking Cameron, La., as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, it has since weakened to a tropical storm inland. In the past 20-years, only two other storms have landed in the U.S. with winds of that speed and strength.

The president and vice president were briefed by a team at FEMA's Washington, D.C. headquarters this afternoon on Hurricane Laura's path of destruction and the emergency response on the ground in affected areas. 

Vice President Pence thanked the emergency teams that have been working on a response to the aggressive storm, saying "we prepared for the worst," but the storm "was not as bad as it could have been."

President Trump confirmed that he "was prepared to postpone the speech tonight and do it Monday," referring to his official acceptance speech at the RNC this evening. He also said that he will "be heading to Texas and Louisiana" on Saturday or Sunday.

Laura has weakened in the 11 hours since making landfall, now moving with sustained wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Communities along the Gulf Coast are experiencing high water levels. 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott says there is widespread damage but so far no reports of deaths in his state. Louisiana Governor Bel Edwards said a 14-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her home Thursday morning. More than 700,000 homes and businesses are currently without power. 

National Weather Service officials say the storm could breed several tornadoes and flash floods that will hit parts of Arkansas and Tennessee. 

The hurricane first blew through the Lake Charles area of Louisiana, where it has now sparked a fire at a chemical plant along the shores of the lake. Billows of smoke can be seen rising from the chemical plant in southwest Louisiana. Traffic is being diverted away from the area and local residents have been told to shelter in place.

Laura is landing just as Republicans gear up for the final night of their 2020 convention. During previous conventions, Republicans have cancelled and rescheduled various parts of their programming due to arriving storms. 

In 2008, Republicans cancelled the opening night of the RNC as category-2 hurricane Gustav landed in Louisiana. “Of course, this is a time when we have to do away with our party politics, and we have to act as Americans,” said then-Sen. John McCain, who would become the party's nominee for president.

In 2012, then-Congressman Paul Ryan delayed his vice presidential acceptance speech in Tampa, Florida, as hurricane Isaac prevented him from traveling to the convention. 

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday night did not rule out of the possibility of rescheduling President Trump's acceptance speech on Thursday night, though she said the plan was for Trump to go ahead with the address.

“We never say no around here, because things happen at a volume and velocity around here, and we adapt to events. As of right now, the president plans to speak tomorrow,” she said. 

The Trump campaign, however, told Politico that the president's speech "will happen as scheduled on Thursday."

From Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Vice President Pence addressed the coming storm, ““Our prayers are with you tonight, and our administration is working closely with authorities in the states that will be impacted. FEMA has mobilized resources and supplies for those in harm’s way."

"This is a serious storm. We urge all those in the affected areas to heed state and local authorities. Stay safe, and know that we’ll be with you every step of the way to support, rescue, response, and recovery in the days and weeks ahead," he said. 

The National Hurricane Center has warned that Laura will bring an "unsurvivable storm surge," to western Louisiana and eastern Texas. The hurricane is being classed as one of the 10 strongest storms to ever hit the mainland of the United States.