Pressure falls the last hour: Beaumont 1.8 mb (to 988.3 mb), Lake Charles 0.3 mb (to 989.5 mb).

Three radars (Houston, Lake Charles, New Orleans) all indicate that the eye is open to the south, which is consistent with what the last plane was reporting (will there be another recon flight?... they are running out of time if there is). The feature I had been following as the partial eyewall seems to have accelerated to the WNW and merged with another rainband. I'm not exactly sure where I would put the center of circulation based on the radar at the moment. Regardless, the intense convective bands to the north of the system will be capable of producing very strong winds for anyone in their path. The stronger the convection, the more you get the higher winds aloft mixed down to the surface.