The storm did indeed do terrible damage. Photos from East Texas and southwestern portions of Louisiana, which took the brunt of the storm, show entire neighborhoods torn apart by winds. A hurricane-damaged chemical plant near Lake Charles caught fire Thursday, sending clouds of chlorine into the air; the cause of the fire is unclear.

But in an early morning interview with CNN, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said the storm surge had turned out not to be as dangerous as the 15-foot—or higher—waves that had been predicted. Now downgraded to a tropical storm, Laura is moving away from Louisiana and heading toward the East Coast.

It may be days until the exact levels of the storm surge can be calculated,