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Gulf Coast Clears Out As Katrina Nears
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| Contributor | J.R. |
| Last Edited | J.R. Aug 28, 2005 09:03pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | TV News - KITV |
| News Date | Monday, August 29, 2005 03:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | NEW ORLEANS -- It's now raining in Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast as powerful Hurricane Katrina makes its way toward land.
Thousands are fleeing New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast or making preparations to ride the Category 5 storm out.
Mandatory evacuations have been issued for New Orleans and parts of southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as Katrina churns toward the coast.
Experts said a direct hit on New Orleans by Katrina could result in a worst-case scenario they've warned about for years.
New Orleans, one of America's most charming cities, could be converted into a giant cesspool laced with toxic chemicals and raw sewage. Even coffins from the city's legendary cemeteries could be released by floodwaters.
With winds clocked at 160 mph, forecasters fear it's the storm that the people New Orleans long worried could hit.
Katrina could produce storm surge flooding of up to 28 feet, with even higher waves, tornadoes and as much as 15 inches of rain. In light of that danger, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said he expected the city's levee system to fail, and also expected power to go down.
Computer simulations indicate vast sections of the city could be under water up to 30 feet deep. That would leave thousands homeless.
Experts have warned of New Orleans' vulnerability for years. Louisiana has lost more than 1 million acres of coastal wetlands in the last seven decades. The swamps and bayous had served as a storm buffer. |
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