Man killed by tree is first Texas death blamed on Laura

A truck is seen stuck on a flooded road after the passing of Hurricane Laura in Grand Lake south of Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 28, 2020. - At least six people were killed by Hurricane Laura in Louisiana and search teams may find more victims, …

An East Texas man who died when Hurricane Laura threw a tree onto his home is believed to be the state's first reported death from the storm.

Sabine County Emergency Management Coordinator Kerwin Lloyd identified the man Friday as 54-year-old David Murrell.

Lloyd said Murrell died Thursday when the tree fell on his mobile home at Toledo Bend Reservoir near Hemphill.

Officials blame Laura for a total of 11 deaths, with the rest counted in Louisiana.

Laura made landfall Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border and sawed a devastating path as it moved north through Louisiana and later into Arkansas and Tennessee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.