Hurricane Katrina floods New Orleans and Gulfport

Monday, August 29, 2005

Not more than 6 hours after category 4 hurricane Katrina touched down on the Louisiana coast between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and Biloxi, Mississippi, both New Orleans and Gulfport are mostly underwater.

Hurricane Katrina, still packing winds of 105-120 miles per hour, passed through just west of New Orleans, as it made it's way Northward through Mississippi, and on into Alabama.

Approximately 70% of New Orleans is below sea level, and is protected by a series of levees and pumps. The Lower 9th Ward, on the east side of New Orleans was under five to six feet of rising water after three pumps failed,and New Orleans Police have reportedly received more than 100 calls from people trapped on roofs of houses.

The Associated Press is also reporting, that entire neighborhoods along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain have been flooded, and residents had scrambled onto the roofs of their shotgun-style houses.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, approximately 80 miles to the Northeast of New Orleans, local authorites are reporting 10 foot floods in the downtown streets. With waters so deep, boats and various debris could be seen floating up the street.

As of 1:30pm EST, Hurricane Katrina had been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane, but was still packing winds of up to 105 miles an hour.

Several SEVERE TORNADO ALERTS have also been issued by the National Weather Service for the following areas:

BULLOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
UNION SPRINGS, ALABAMA
ESCAMBIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA
JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
COVINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
JONES COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
ELLISVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
COLLINS, MISSISSIPPI
MOUNT OLIVE, MISSISSIPPI
LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI
MARION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
FORREST COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
LAMAR COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
PURVIS, MISSISSIPPI
HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI
WEST HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI
COLUMBIA, MISSISSIPPI

THE NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REMINDS YOU, THAT THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.