The fate of a Confederate statue in Louisiana has been decided by nature.

Protesters had asked officials to take down the statue, called The Souths Defenders Monument, but local officials voted 10-4 earlier this month to leave it where it stands outside the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse in Lake Charles.

Hurricane Laura apparently had other ideas. The Category 4 storm left carnage in its wake after making landfall early Thursday morning as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the state, with sustained winds of 150 mph.

When the worst had passed, the monument lay toppled on the grass, surrounded by debris.

The statue was dedicated in 1915 to recognize Confederate soldiers in the area and other Southern towns, the American Press in Lake Charles reported.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and other community members had called for its removal, noting its painful symbolism of slavery and oppression. Opponents argued it was historically important and honored relatives lost in the war.

Ultimately, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the local government, voted for the statue to remain where it stood.

Of the total responses, 878 were against relocating the monument and 67 were for relocating the monument, Calcasieu Parish Administrator Bryan Beam told The Associated Press at the time.