New Orleans On Alert As Gustav Looms

Gulf Coast Prepares To Evacuate, La. Declares Emergency; 23 Dead In Caribbean

(CBS/AP)  On the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary, a nervous New Orleans watched Wednesday as another storm threatened to test everything the city has rebuilt, and officials made preliminary plans to evacuate people, pets and hospitals in an attempt to avoid a Katrina-style chaos.

Forecasters warned that Gustav could grow into a dangerous Category 3 hurricane in the next several days. By Labor Day, Gustav could make landfall anywhere from south Texas to the Florida panhandle, and hurricane experts said everyone in between should be concerned.

"We know it's going to head into the Gulf. After that, we're not sure," said meteorologist Rebecca Waddington at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. "For that reason, everyone in the Gulf needs to be monitoring the storm."

For New Orleans residents, the warnings take on an added sense of urgency.

"I'm panicking," said Evelyn Fuselier of Chalmette, whose home was submerged in 14 feet of floodwater when Katrina hit. Fuselier said she's been back in her home one year this month, and called watching Gustav swirl toward the Gulf of Mexico indescribable. "I keep thinking, 'Did the Corps fix the levees?,' 'Is my house going to flood again?' ... 'Am I going to have to go through all this again?"'

Taking no chances, city officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm. Mayor Ray Nagin left the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations. Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for federal assistance, and put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.

Post Katrina, rebuilding walls and rebuilding trust has been the task of the Army Corps of Engineers, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan. They've accomplished a lot - but it may not be enough.

"We've repaired 220 miles of the approximately 350 miles of levees and floodwalls that encompass the greater New Orleans area," Randy Cephus of the Army Corps of Engineers told Sreenivasan. "Our charter was to have this complete by 2011; we're not there yet."

If a Category 3 or stronger hurricane comes within 60 hours of the city, New Orleans plans to institute a mandatory evacuation order. Unlike Katrina, there will be no massive shelter at the Superdome, a plan designed to encourage residents to leave. Instead, the state has arranged for buses and trains to take people to safety.

It was unclear what would happen to stragglers. Jerry Sneed, the city's emergency preparedness director, said officials are ready to move about 30,000 people. Nearly 8,000 people had signed up for transportation help by late Wednesday.

At a suburban Lowe's store, employees said portable generators, gasoline cans, bottled water and batteries were selling briskly. Hotels across south Louisiana reported taking many reservations as coastal residents looked inland for possible refuge.

Steve Weaver, 82, and his wife stayed for Katrina - and were plucked off the roof of their house by a Coast Guard helicopter. This time, Weaver has no inclination to ride out the storm.

"Everybody learned a lesson about staying, so the highways will be twice as packed this time," Weaver said.

Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, and its storm surge blasted through the levees that protect the city. Eighty percent of the city was flooded.

Though pockets of the New Orleans are well on the way to recovery, many neighborhoods have struggled to recover. Many residents still live in temporary trailers, and shuttered homes still bear the 'X' that was painted to help rescue teams looking for the dead.

Many people never returned, and the city's population, around 310,000 people, is roughly two-thirds what it was before the storm, though various estimates vary wildly.

Since the storm, the Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars to improve the levee system, but because of two quiet hurricane seasons, the flood walls have never been tested.

Floodgates have been installed on drainage canals to stop any storm surge from entering the city, and levees have been raised and in many places strengthened with concrete.

Robert Turner Jr., the regional levee director, said the levee system can handle a storm with the likelihood of occurring every 30 years, what the corps calls a 30-year storm. By comparison, Katrina was a 396-year storm.

[credibility2]

If N.O. hasn''t really done anything to minimize a direct hit, it''s their own fault. Don''t blame it on the Feds or FEMA. Eventually individual responsibility must kick in. They have nearly five days to prepare and depart before potential landfall. That''s a sufficient amount of time for all people to evacuate, even the ones that claim they haven''t any means to do so.

[candy-apple]

If N.O. hasn''''t really done anything to minimize a direct hit, it''''s their own fault. Don''''t blame it on the Feds or FEMA. Eventually individual responsibility must kick in. They have nearly five days to prepare and depart before potential landfall. That''''s a sufficient amount of time for all people to evacuate, even the ones that claim they haven''''t any means to do so.


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Posted by Credibility2 at 03:56 PM : Aug 27, 20

And what do you propose be done to "minimize a direct hit"? Neither NO, nor anyone else, has any control over mother nature. She goes where she wants to go. Make sure that you tell the people on Cali and the midwest that they have to minimize a direct hit from mother nature in their areas as well. Man has no control over mother nature. The only things that can be done is to pack up your family, pets and necessary valuables and get out. Man can''t control what happens when they''re gone.

[lovesamerica]

hurricane season runs from July-November,every year. If you live in Hurricane prone areas YOU should be prepared and never wait for someone else to bale you out when the''unexpected'' happens. Haiti and jamaca have stripped much of their foliage to survive,causing erosion,flooding and muslides.Educating them as well as those in our own country on more conseration minded ventures is a good way to start. For now, we all are at the whims of mother nature and the cause and effects of human involvement. Good luck all.

[xmanborg]

After Gustav hits the Gulf Coast and causes distruction, George W Douschbag and McLame will have to tour the area and ACT LIKE THEY ARE ALL CONCERNED FOR THE GULF COAST.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha the Republican Party Concerned about the Gulf Coast or New Orleans thats a good one.

[talkingham]

When you build below sea level ina hrricane zone it''s your own fault. It''s time we rolled up the streets in NO and ended the party.

That however, is not an excuse for the absurdly lousy job FEMA did under Bush poltiical hacks and surrogates which were given important jobs here and in Iraq and in most cases failed their missions miserably and/or stole everything they could and then "retired" or received a medal from Bush.

[slipsliding2]

Stupid idiots living in a stupid city that''s below sea level.

I hope this one takes them out permanently. I''m tired of seeing billions of taxpayer dollars being wasted in the attempt to rebuild a town that is to stupid to move to higher ground.

I hope all the money thrown into N.O. the last few years is now wasted when the city is wiped from the face of the Earth. Maybe those uneducated idiots will then learn they can''t trust their local Democrat leaders anymore and vote them out.

[vitterdidder]

Nother hurricane coming to Nawlines, ripe with opportunity for checks, checks, checks! Hot diggity!

[lovesamerica]

That''s right,blame Bush for the weather and resulting tragedies, Not the people who refused to leave,the local governments,and that good old let''s see what happens mentality. If you look back at this presidency,just take note of the awful things he has had to deal with under his administration. 9/11,the worst hurricane season if not ever,than in a really long time. just to name a few. Has he done everything right?wrong? no and no. He has a whole government behind him that makes and unmakes many of his decisions. I detest his environmental policies, but for a man to have control of an entire country in these troubling times,the decisions made must be mind boggling. I would NEVER want the job and anyone who does should have a major brain evaluation!!! Hurricanes are coming folks..get ready,just like I have to get ready for -10 degree weather and 6feet of snow...

[lovesamerica]

What a rude remark! There are all kinds of people living there.It is not their color or race,but their inability in alot of cases,to help themselves.

[ar9mp]

The ignorance here is appalling.

You do realize that if one were to follow the same logic that many here do (why build in paths of hurricanes, etc.), it would be perfectly reasonable to require those in the Midwest to move to escape tornados, those in coastal Florida (which is about the whole state) to pack up and leave for fear of their own storm, and people in California to move because natural wildfires are prone there, right? Hell, why should federal $$$ be used to assist Iowans who live along the Mississippi River when it has a worse-than-usual flood season. I don''t want my tax dollars being used to fight wildfires in Big Sur when they new forests have a natural cycle of regrowth....

Also, consider that most of our nation''s oil/natural gas infrastructure is in the Gulf. The manpower required for these industries is enormous, and they have to live somewhere (like NOLA, Biloxi, Mobile, etc.). Heaven forbid that I fail to mention that New Orleans is our nation''s second largest port and supplies most of the Midwest with imports.

The reasons to continue to "dump" tax dollars into New Orleans''s recovery and prosperity are too numerous too mention, as are the flaws in the logic of the ignorant masses that would have one of the only true American cultural centers abandoned for simplicity''s sake.

[erasmus81]

"We''ve repaired 220 miles of the approximately 350 miles of levees and floodwalls that encompass the greater New Orleans area..."

The people of New Orleans need to take note of this.
The levees have been REPAIRED, not rebuilt bigger and better.

I was talking to someone the other day in the site about the people of New Orleans not learning a lesson. She was saying that they rebuilt their home after it was destroyed. I told her that their money would have been better spent relocating. Why would you put money back into something that is going to keep being destroyed over and over again?

"Stupid idiots living in a stupid city that''''s below sea level." Posted by SlipSliding2 at 05:35 PM : Aug 27, 2008

I agree with this, but you were a little harsh in the rest of your post.

[no2zeebas]

Hopefully this time mother nature will do the job correctly and wipe that filthy cesspool in louisiana off the map permanently...

[benissimo-2009]

If New Orleans gets flooded again, they better just consider the whole city a wasteland and rebuild it somewhere else.

[aztecdakota]

If the walls break again, I think they should let all the water out of that lake. Then build a NEW city of New Orleans where the lake was, which is on higher ground. Then build beaches and Marinas on the southern edge of the town, and swim and fish where the old New Orleans used to be. If it has to be rebuilt again, build it new, on adjacent higher ground. If fill is needed it can be dug up from the surrounding lower areas, which would also creat new resort type lakes. A NEW, SAFE, NEW ORLEANS!!!

[kennergirl]

All I can say is that after reading some of the comments on this board I am thoroughly disgusted especially from Slipsliding. Hoping that a city is "wiped out" is totally uncalled for. I wouldn''t care if I lived in that city or not. It''s not up to you (thank God) to decide where I should live. It''s a free country and I can live where ever I dam well please, Thank you very much. I have flood insurance and homeowners insurance so YOU aren''t paying for me, honey.

[erasmus81]

Can you actually get flood insurance in New Orleans?

I wouldn''t think that an insurance company would cover anyone there.

[no2zeebas]

All I can say is that after reading some of the comments on this board I am thoroughly disgusted especially from Slipsliding. Hoping that a city is "wiped out" is totally uncalled for. I wouldn''''t care if I lived in that city or not. It''''s not up to you (thank God) to decide where I should live. It''''s a free country and I can live where ever I dam well please, Thank you very much. I have flood insurance and homeowners insurance so YOU aren''''t paying for me, honey.

Posted by kennergirl at 07:58 PM : Aug 27, 2008


Oh, But WE ARE paying for you...Our insurance goes up...Federal dollars go to you...And where do the federal dollars come from? We the taxpayers...

[c-mo6]

Great. Just what we needed...another fcking excuse for blacks and other minorities to suck money from the government while not having to work.


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Posted by starsnbars12 at 07:09 PM : Aug 27, 2008
*** you figured us out! Were just waiting for a natural disaster to hit so we can lose our homes live in a stadium get raped or maybe starve to death for a goverment check. Now that you''ve figured that out plan we gotta come up with somethin else.
It''s funny you never hear these kind of comments about the houses that burn down in california wildfires every year and they continue to rebuild.

[c-mo6]

If N.O. hasn''''t really done anything to minimize a direct hit, it''''s their own fault. Don''''t blame it on the Feds or FEMA. Eventually individual responsibility must kick in. They have nearly five days to prepare and depart before potential landfall. That''''s a sufficient amount of time for all people to evacuate, even the ones that claim they haven''''t any means to do so.


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Posted by Credibility2 at 03:56 PM : Aug 27, 2008

And go where? To their summer homes maybe?

[no2zeebas]

It''''s funny you never hear these kind of comments about the houses that burn down in california wildfires every year and they continue to rebuild.

Posted by c-mo6 at 08:10 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Those peeps who keep rebuilding on hillsides in california are just retarded...

[no2zeebas]

And go where? To their summer homes maybe?

Posted by c-mo6 at 08:13 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Who cares? Just get the f out of dodge...

[kennergirl]

Ole dakota,

The lake isn''t higher than the city. The lake is only about 16 feet deep. When the levees broke (which was in many places) the water rushed in until the lake leveled off. If the lake was higher than the city the lake should have practically drained completely and with the levees that were left standing it would have created a dam for the water to stay in that area and not mix back into the lake. Areas near the Mississippi River are higher than areas by the lake so the water would keep draining out for miles (which it did do somewhat) following the lowest land areas.

But NO is surrounded by not only Lake Pontchartrain but other smaller bodies of water to the south and east. The reason why NO flooded for Katrina and Hurricane Betsy back in 1965 was because the US government built the MR-GO (Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet). Only after that was built did NO flood badly. Now the Corps is spending millions of dollars to block this inlet which shouldn''t be done until 2009 or 2010.

Hopefully this alone will help decrease the chances of another Katrina (or Betsy).

[lovesamerica]

You do not hear comments about rebuilding in California after fires or quakes,nor do you hear alot of complaints in the midwest where year after year,tornados destroy towns,and this year,months of flooding.How about watertown,with its dasterdly snowfall records,we just all seem to be consumed by N.O. not You do not hear comments because those people, are helping themselves and not whining and waiting. And they prepare...

[yourpointis]

Looks like Bush, FEMA, and N.O. will get a do over. My bet says they mess this response up even worse than last time. Why would anyone put their lives in these peoples hands again???

Posted by Impeach__W at 03:42 PM : Aug 27, 2008


Actually, the smart man wouldn''t wait around to put their lives in ANYONE''S hands but their OWN. You are responsible for yourself. period. Quit blaming the government for weather tragedies, when people....if they use their heads instead of sticking them up their arse.....could do for themselves instead of waiting for a handout. Yea, the Gov''t didn''t do a grade "A" sparkling job during Katrina....honestly, I don''t think they were ready to handle all the people that were needing financial assistance. Really, did you see it? As Americans, we need to help one another, help ourselves, and stop depending on a handout.....get a life. Cheers!

(I live in Texas, gave a truckbed FULL of clothes, kitchen goods, bought a payphone with minutes, etc, to help do what I could to those that were effected. Wasn''t much, but I tried...did you???)

[rushlimpdrug]

New Orleans is the Paris of the United States.

If you come to NO to visit for a weekend be
prepared to stay for a lifetime.
(especially during a hurricane)

[no2zeebas]

lol...Nice letter...Lets hope it gets answered...

[no2zeebas]

I got an idea...lets force the democratic convention into the gulf of mexico and all the hot air they spew will heat the hurricane up to a cat 5...

[lovesamerica]

You DO realise that you are not just talking about a town. There are people. Childrens and old folks,animals and old trees, flowers and birds..do you really want to wipe them all off the face of the map? because it really is all or nothing and best be careful what you wish for as it may come back to you tenfold.

[rushlimpdrug]

best be careful what you wish for as it may
come back to you tenfold.
Posted by lovesamerica at 09:15 PM


Boy, you really know how to emit bad karma.

[lovesamerica]

I am not the one wishing ill, I have experienced it.

[no2zeebas]

You DO realise that you are not just talking about a town. There are people. Childrens and old folks,animals and old trees, flowers and birds..do you really want to wipe them all off the face of the map? because it really is all or nothing and best be careful what you wish for as it may come back to you tenfold.

Posted by lovesamerica at 09:15 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Lets see...They have fair warning to leave, but they stay anyhow...If they die...TOO BAD, not so sad...It''s just the ignorant gene pool being cleansed...
And don''t tell me they have no way out...

[lovesamerica]

hmmmm,which part of the country do You live in so I can watch the news.

[frigginnutz]

OH YEAH WELL I PREDICT ITS GOING TO HIT MONTANA, COME ON YOUR ARE RETARDED IF YOU SUPPORT THE WEATHER CHANNEL. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WERE ITS GOING

[lovesamerica]

Montana is land locked silly,no oceans for miles around.They get blizzards,fog and fires

[lovesamerica]

I watch the weather channel during Hurricane season just so I can watch Jim Cantore.....

[haoli25]

''Heckuva job there, Gustavie.....now go get you some Chocolate City.''

[tothestars2]

I hope the government doesn''t throw caution to the wind (no pun intended) this time and, orders the military to make a forced evac. of NO so there will be no looting or loss of life.

[talk2chief]

Nah nah nah nah... nah nah nah nah... Hey Hey Hey... good bye.

If you stay in New Orleans (which is below sea level) and refuse to evacuate... then your a moron and shall receive no sympathy, apathy or condolences. Fool me once...

[lovesamerica]

Goodnight,everyone in the hurricane''s path, be careful

[deacon20081]

no2zeebas & bullyforhim
I believe the Red Neck Bigot forum is at a KKK web site, you must be lost.....

[deacon20081]

I got an idea...lets force the democratic convention into the gulf of mexico and all the hot air they spew will heat the hurricane up to a cat 5...
Posted by no2zeebas
-----------------------------------------------------
Better idea, take your Neo_Con pals and ride the McSame Lemming Express into the Ocean.
When you wash up on shore we''ll be sure to light a fire for you.

[oneworldusa]

If one lives in a hurricane-prone area and a hurricane is approaching, they must prepare to leave, otherwise, suffer the consequences and don''t cry for help or sympathy when people cannot get to them to help.

[ajaxtheleast]

Florida Gov. Jindal has 3,000 WELL-TRAINED

NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS "at the ready" !!!!

When Super-Bobby gives ''em the word

the troops will deploy to the scene,

cordon off the area,

pick up body parts and report that

two thousand of the dead were

terrorists, with only two civilians

among the dead and that the Pentagon

is now investigating the two

civilian deaths!!!

[caliengineer]

I have read some prophecies that, because people say Katrina was not punishment from God because of sexual sin, including homosexuality- because of this denial, the prophecy says, God will strike N.O. again, but far worse.

It may be this hurricane or some other... but without repentence it will come.

[andrew_693]

if god is punishing new orleans for having ****$exuals how come he doesn''t punish everyone that voted republican, since they are all a bunch of airport banana eating fa.....g$

[longtree-2009]

Just the usual hurricane season. The hurricanes come through, destroy, and people with the help of federal government taxpayer money rebuild. The next year it happens again. They rebuild. Hurricanes destroy. They rebuild. Same old stuff.

[jodyrae4]

Well...hope New Orleans people leave this time.
I''d be asking Nagin what he did with all those buses?

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by caliengineer at 04:04 AM

God has punished you by driving you out of your
country.

Good fortune has brought you to this country
to work for and with homosexxuals.

Since your country and city don''t want you back,
count your blessings.

[phydeux2]

When will people learn that living on a coastline in a city well below sea level is asking for disaster? If Gustav turns out to be another Katrina I''ll just laugh at all the idiots who didn''t have sense enough to leave the first time around.

Move to higher ground people!

[lloydbest1]

As of 8/28/08; 0700 EDT:

Gustav is directly east of Jamaica, traveling W-SW at about 6 mph. Maximum sustained winds are running at 70+ mph; don''t know what the gusts are. Central pressure is 988 mb or 29.17 inches.

The storm is on the southern edge of a dome of relatively high pressure centered over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida peninsula. This is driving Gustav slightly south of west but will also steer it into an expanse of hot (nearly 90 degree) gulf water between Jamaica and Cuba on one side and the Yucatan on the other. That will provide a tremendous energy boost and by this time tomorrow, Gustav should be a strong Cat 2 Hurricane.
We''re still about four to five days away from U.S. landfall and a lot can happen in that time; but most of the weather forcast models have Gustav turning north, brushing the far western tip of Cuba then roaring across more 85 to 90 degree water to slam ashore near Louisiana''s Terrebonne, St Mary and Iberia Parishes.
We also have to consider a new moon at the approximate time Gustav crashes ashore and with it the possibly of a tidally enhanced storm surge. IF landfall is where the weather bureau expects it to be, New Oreleans will be, again as with Katrina, on the storm''s northeast quadrant....
Right now things don''t look so good and Mr. Nagin would be well advised to draw up and implement evacuation plans now while the getting is still good.