New Orleans On Alert As Gustav Looms

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

(CBS/AP)  Gustav is particularly worrisome because there are few surrounding wind currents capable of shearing off the top of the storm and diminishing its power, the hurricane center said. "Combined with the deep warm waters, rapid intensification could occur in a couple of days."

By Wednesday evening, a slightly weakened Gustav had top winds of 45 mph. It was centered some 100 miles south of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and traveling west-northwest at 8 mph.

A hurricane warning was in effect for parts of Cuba, including the U.S. military base at Guantanamo, where base spokesman Bruce Lloyd predicted "a really wet night."

Gustav formed Monday and roared ashore Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane near the southern Haitian city of Jacmel with top winds near 90 mph, toppling palm trees and flooding the city's Victorian buildings.

The storm triggered flooding and landslides that killed 23 people in the Caribbean. It weakened into a tropical storm and appeared headed for Cuba, though it is likely to grow stronger in the coming days by drawing energy from warm open water.

Nearly 30,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in eastern Cuba, and state television showed muddy, waist-high water damaging homes. Fidel Castro pledged in an essay that "no one will be forgotten" by the government.

The government of the Cayman Islands ordered people to secure loose materials in their yards to prevent them from becoming missiles in high winds, and told them to stock up on food, medicine and fuel for generators.

In the Haitian capital, the chocolate waters of a river spilled over its banks, lapping at shacks in the Cite Soleil slum. Residents pushed bicycles and balanced boxes of belongings on their heads as they sought higher ground.

U.N. peacekeepers were preparing to evacuate residents from the western town of Jeremie even as rain continued to fall, U.N. official Andre Pierre said.

Civil protection director Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste said 14 people were killed in mudslides and floods in Haiti, including a young girl swept off a bridge by flood waters.

In the Dominican Republic, a mother and six of her seven children - ranging in age from 11 months to 15 years - were killed when a landslide crushed their house. The body of Marcelina Feliz was found hugging that of her smallest child, rescue officials said. A neighbor was also killed.

"I don't know how I can live now, because none of my family is left," said

Scientists cautioned that the storm's track and intensity were difficult to predict several days in advance.

But in New Orleans, there was little else to do except prepare as if it were Katrina. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was set to begin moving animals inland to shelters in Baton Rouge on Thursday, and more would go to Texas shelters on Friday and Saturday.

"We definitely don't want to wait until Saturday or Sunday to decide what to do," said Ana Zorrilla, director of the pet-rescue group.

In Grand Isle, tractor loads of dirt and clay mud were being hauled in to fill portions of the levee system damaged by Hurricane Katrina, said Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle. The coastal community south of New Orleans historically is one of the first to evacuate when tropical weather threatens and was hard-hit by Katrina.

"I couldn't sleep last night," Carmardelle said. "We just came back from so much."

Emergency preparations also were under way along Mississippi's coast. The eye of Hurricane Katrina pushed ashore near the small towns of Waveland and Bay St. Louis, Miss., and along the 70-mile coastline, roughly 65,000 homes were destroyed, and thousands of businesses and hulking casino barges were wiped out.

"We don't need anything of this magnitude to come here," said Biloxi Mayor A. J. Holloway. "Katrina just devastated us."

The oil market also reacted to the threat. Oil prices jumped above $119 a barrel as workers began to evacuate from the offshore rigs responsible for a quarter of U.S. crude production. Any damage to the oil infrastructure or Gulf Coast refineries could send U.S. pump prices spiking, possibly before the busy Labor Day weekend.

"A bad storm churning in the Gulf could be a nightmare scenario," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago. "We might see oil prices spike $5 to $8 if it really rips into platforms."

Many residents hadn't yet made a decision about leaving. Lawson "Sonny" Brannan, a construction company owner, was busy renovating a client's home Wednesday, just blocks from where a levee was breached in the Lakeview neighborhood. A wall of water up to 15 feet deep wiped out the home.

Brannan calmly went about his business, but nonetheless kept a watchful eye on the weather.

"I'm not going to worry about it until I see it in the Gulf," he said. "Then I'll make my decisions."

[runningralph]

Louisiana is big in the production of petroleum products. Problems down there have a ripple effect on the whole country. Unfortunately, it''s also big in production of welfare recipients and criminals. The ratio of taxpayers to tax absorbers is very low. Anytime there is any sort of crisis these people will have to be bailed out, they are helpless due to living their whole life on the dole. Anywhere they go they will have to be housed, fed and given medical attention. After being there a while they will commit crimes, then they will reproduce. There will be ripples effects from that, too.

[gheemaster38]

Aftermath of Gustav:

People may be dying again because they didnt heed the week of warnings that were given.

McCain-Will wanna Nuke New Orleans

OBama- Will give a goood Speech

Bush- WIll silently be praying for January 20th..

In the end, Nothing ever really changes.

[no2zeebas]

What does being ''''On Alert'''' in New Orleans really mean? Like in scoping out where all the pre-flood HD TVs are?

Posted by haoli25 at 02:07 PM : Aug 28, 2008

I can picture them now carrying the latest 65" widescreen plasma''s in shopping carts...

[sly_64]

I beleive there is a God, just not the bible fairy tales.

[haoli25]

What does being ''On Alert'' in New Orleans really mean? Like in scoping out where all the pre-flood HD TVs are?

[mo005]

Gonna flush that toilet for good this time. I can here the whining already ( where''s my free stuff)

[sistatee-2009]

"the state has arranged for buses and trains to take people to safety."

Let me guess. They''re taking them to hotels and motels where WE get to pay for the room for the next two years, until somebody throws them out on the street. How many times do we get to play this game?

[xxunknown]

i think they handled hurricane faye pretty well....what do you think they did wrong with handling faye?
-------------------------------
By my estimation what they handled wrong about Faye was that they didnt go surfing during high tide.

[redhed1246]

I pray for everyone in New Orleans. It''s my favorite city in the world. My husband and I just got back from there a few weeks ago for our wedding anniversary. It broke my heart to see the homes that were still empty with X''s on the fronts. The water levels still on the homes. The homeless living in tents under the bridge. I hope all of you and your families make it safe through this!!! Love NOLA and all it''s people..

[questionnews]

You can bet that there will be people going into New Orleans during the storm to take advantage of some good old fashion pillaging & looting.

I wouldn''t be surprised if someone right now is renting tour buses & arranging the "Loot New Orleans Tourbus Extravaganza!!" You have to bring your own hammer, bolt cutters & gun though. Or you could just steal them while you''re there!!

[gheemaster38]

ahhhh! we finally get to test teh Levees again. At best they withstand the storm. AT worst well, we get new beach front property!! I just hope this time the people heed the warnings and leave. It''s okay to pray-but do it on the way OUT this time!!!

[questionnews]

New mandate for anyone living in New Orleans.

"Pontoon houses!!!"

[jamesetling]

Gustav will certainly provide some entertainment. People who live right on the Gulf Coast put themselves at risk. Not too many hurricanes in Colorado or Pennsylvania. But people choose to live in places like New Orleans. People on the Gulf Coast choose to live in houses that are easily flattened by high winds. There are stone castles on the coast in Europe that have been around for 500 years, through all kinds of storms. We could build those here, but we don''t.

[gheemaster38]

Save it Its a Hurricane and Hurricanes have been occuring on Earth Before the Human Race Existed, GOD has Nothing to do with Gustav its NATURE.

If you going to Blame anybody, Blame Mother Nature and remember "Its Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature"

thanks and well said. I think some Bible thumpers don''t realize what they are saying when they blame things like this on "god." They are saying he is the greatest mass murder in history!! Now, tell me who would want to worship a mass murderer? This nature at it''s best/or worst Nothing more. Now before you all start preaching to me about being a sinner, I think you should read James 1:12-14 and see what your Bible says about things like this.

[sly_64]

The God fairy tale is out in full force once again.

[maedean]

Lets see it has not even hit New Orleans yet and they are already putting there hands out for goverment money. The people who were hit the worst from Katrina were in Mississippi and you don''t here them still going on and on about it. Maybe it will hit and wash all the trash from New Orleans out to sea where they belong..

[swwils]

I hate too say it but Orlean''s is doomed ,that city was made for one purpose,that was Southern Slave trade with the Spainard''s,and French,they didn''t care it was under sea level they didn''t have storms like now.That place has too many bad memories of American stupidity,we need to let it sink into the ocean.The Russians,and Iranians will change it''s name anyway if we don''t watch our back''s.They want too destroy us that is reality I have heard them say this.I don''t need hit with a nuke to learn my lesson.We must strike first and fierce!

[xmanborg]

Oh and by the way to all you LAME PEOPLE WHO WILL give GOD credit for Gustav.

Save it Its a Hurricane and Hurricanes have been occuring on Earth Before the Human Race Existed, GOD has Nothing to do with Gustav its NATURE.

If you going to Blame anybody, Blame Mother Nature and remember "Its Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature"

[xmanborg]

Get Ready Gulf Coast here comes Gustav.

Next week Expect a Visit from George W Douschbag and John McLame and they will be acting all CONCERNED ABOUT the Distruction from Gustav and acting all CONCERNED ABOUT the Gulf Coast Residents.

Thats Funny: Georg W. Douschbag and John McLame and the Republican party concerned about the Gulf Coast since when has The Bush Administration been Concerned about New Orleans and the People of the Gulf Coast.

WAKE UP: George W Douschbag nobody it buying your 2 faced Republican Lame Lies anymore.

[candy-apple]

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.


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Posted by lovesamerica at 07:15 PM : Aug 27, 2008
+ report abuse

I don''t buy that. I live 60 miles north of NO and there was help offered from all over the place. When people REFUSE to leave then they only have themselves to blame for their situation. I''m not defending anyone in government, they could''ve done more, but when you watch brand new cars pull up to a shelter there''s a problem. We had to borrow money to get home after the storm, but that wasn''t a concern at the time of Katrina. Getting out was our main concern! Where there''s a will, there''s a way!!

As far as the recovery effort, most people in NO just want handouts. They didn''t bother to rebuild their homes with the monies that they did get. They spent the money on jewelry, big screen tv''s (if they didn''t steal one, ) stereo systems for cars,and other non necessities. Local tax dollars are being dumped into recovery down here too. It sickens me to see the people who DO NOT need help getting it while those who do need it aren''t getting it. My mom, like a lot of people lost everything that she owned (in Bay St. Louis, MS) and has gotten NOTHING! She is still trying to get her life back to normal.