NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 30, 2008
Gustav Sends Gulf Coast Residents Fleeing
Mandatory New Orleans Evacuations Ordered For Sunday Morning
-
Play CBS Video Video New Orleans Waits For Gustav Hurricane Gustav is continuing to grow rapidly in strength as the storm has been deemed Category 4 status. Hari Sreenivasan reports from New Orleans, as residents prepare for another evacuation.
-
Video Gustav: Another Katrina? Russ Mitchell speaks with "The Early Show" weatherman Dave Price about the impending Category 4 storm Gustav, which will soon strike portions of the South, including New Orleans.
-
Video Gustav Follows Katrina's Path On the third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's decent onto New Orleans, La. the city preps for a tropical storm that is eerily similar to Katrina. Hari Sreenivasan reports.
-
-
Jeffrey Vannor carries his belongings while evacuating from the approaching Hurricane Gustav at the Greyhound Bus and Amtrak station in New Orleans, on Aug. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
-
Traffic backs up along westbound Interstate 10 as residents of the New Orleans area evacuate due to the threat of Hurricane Gustav, Aug. 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Brian Lawdermilk)
-
People line up to be evacuated from the train station parking lot in New Orleans Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, as Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast. People who do not have a way out of the city are being put on trains and buses. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
-
This satellite image shows Hurricane Gustav taken at 6:55 a.m. EDT Saturday Aug. 30, 2008. (AP/NOAA)
-
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin discusses the progress of evacuation in advance of Hurricane Gustav at a press briefing, Aug. 30, 2008. (CBS)
-
-
Photo Essay Gathering Gustav Storm triggers flooding and landslides in Haiti, major threat to Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
-
Interactive Storm Tracker Follow all the storms of the 2009 season with satellite images, warnings and wind speed charts.
FEMA Praises Preparedness Plans
FEMA administrator David Paulison told CBS Early Show anchor Bianca Solorzano that New Orleans is prepared. "I was there yesterday, met with the mayor, met with the governor. It's the best preparedness I've seen. I'm very proud of what they've done in the last couple of years to get not only the city but the entire state ready."
Compared to Katrina, which slammed into New Orleans on the east side of the city, Gustav is projected to make landfall west of New Orleans, posing the problem that levees on the west side of the city have not been tested under a storm of this strength.
"So the governor and the mayor and the parish called for evacuations," Paulison said. "We're asking people to pay close attention to that. When called to evacuate, please evacuate.
"What you're seeing is a total culture change in not only how this organization is going to respond but how the states and local communities are going to respond. The things you saw happening after Katrina - buses coming in, ambulances coming in, food moving in, urban rescue teams coming in - [are happening] before the storm. The state has contracted for over 700 buses. They've started to arrive. Ambulances are arriving. Urban search and rescue teams, on the ground. The Coast Guard is standing by ready. Everyone is ready for the storm."
Although Paulison said the Army Corps of Engineers is claiming that work on the city's levees is making them higher and stronger than they were at the time of Katrina, residents should not count on them holding up to Gustav. "If people living there are asked to evacuate, they should not depend on the levees," he told Solorzano. "Evacuate. Take shelter and come back to the city after the storm's over."
Officials plan to announce a curfew that will mean the arrest of anyone still on the streets after a mandatory evacuation order goes out. Police and National Guardsmen will patrol after the storm's arrival, and Jindal has said he requested additional search and rescue teams from other states.
Evacuation of coastal parishes was likely to start on Saturday, said Jindal. In St. Mary Parish, which hugs the coastline, the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival - the state's oldest chartered harvest festival usually held over the Labor Day holiday weekend - has been canceled, officials said.
Meanwhile, Jindal said the state would likely switch interstate highway lanes on Sunday so that all traffic would flow north, in the direction an evacuation would follow.
For the third day in a row, Jindal stressed that people with the means should stock up on food, water and other essentials, and prepare to head away from the coast.
"We all still have personal responsibility," he said. "Now's the time to begin making evacuation plans."
President Bush, confronted with the prospect of a second monster hurricane striking the still-battered Gulf Coast, checked in with governors and federal officials Saturday to make sure Washington was doing all it can.
The president called state leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas in the early morning from the White House, spokesman Scott Stanzel said. Those states are in the potential path of Gustav.
Bush also received regular updates from aides about the storm's path and the government's preparations.
The president asked each governor what was needed from the federal government, Stanzel said. Bush praised them for mobilizing their states so effectively to get ready.
"He told each of the governors that federal officials were monitoring Hurricane Gustav very closely," Stanzel said. "President Bush pledged the full support of the federal government."
On Friday, Bush pre-emptively declared states of emergency for Louisiana and Texas; such a move is rarely taken before a disaster hits. The declaration clears the way for federal aid to supplement state and local efforts and formalizes coordination. The administration did the same thing before Katrina struck.
Bush was also reconsidering making his scheduled appearance Monday at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. According to press secretary Dana Perino, the White House is making contigencies in the event Bush decides against making the trip.
Republican officials themselves are weighing their options should Gustav make a disastrous landfall, including pushing back the convention.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison were in the region monitoring developments. Equipment was put in position and safe shelters readied, with cots, blankets and hygiene kits en route.
The Bush White House was badly burned by its fumbling response after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005.
Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi to check on people getting prepared for Hurricane Gustav.
McCain aides say McCain and his wife Cindy will join Palin in traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday at the invitation of Gov. Barbour. They said the McCains and Palins want to check on preparations because they are concerned about the people threatened by the storm.
Sen. Barack Obama, speaking in Ohio prior to attending a memorial service for the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, expressed Saturday that the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina three years ago would help to protect the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Gustav this time.
Obama told reporters that a properly orchestrated evacuation would be key to protecting the Gulf Coast.
"It wasn't last time, and hopefully we've learned from that tragedy," Obama told reporters.
"We are deeply concerned. I've instructed my Senate staff to monitor the situation closely, make sure we've contacted both FEMA but also private relief organizations just to make sure that whatever happens, people are prepared.
"We're praying for New Orleans but we want to make sure that people are making all the necessary precautions."
New Orleans has taken steps to make sure everyone has a chance to leave. The state has a $7 million contract to provide 700 buses to evacuate the elderly, the sick and anyone around the region without transportation.
The entire Louisiana National Guard, over 7,000 members, was activated on Friday. Over 1,500 were sent to New Orleans to assist with evacuations and prevent looting. Jindal sought to reassure New Orleans residents, who recall rampant looting during Katrina, that the guard and New Orleans police would fight any recurrence.
"We don't want folks worrying about their property. It is time for people to be worried about their personal safety," Jindal said.
High Death Toll In The Caribbean
Gustav first struck Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the smaller easternmost "Sister Islands" in the chain. Storm surge and heavy rains flooded the streets.
There were reports of damaged homes in Cayman Brac and flooding throughout the islands but authorities had not yet fully assessed the situation, said Hemant Balgobin, disaster manager for the Red Cross on Grand Cayman.
"Things weren't really as bad as they could have been," he said.
More than 1,100 people spent the night in government shelters in the three islands as high waves and heavy winds battered the chain, the National Emergency Operations Center said in a statement. Most people hunkered down in private homes or hotels.
Caymans authorities did not impose a curfew but urged people to remain indoors to avoid interfering with emergency workers.
Hotels asked guests to leave and, after the airport closed, prepared to shelter those who remained. Chris Smith, of Frederick, Maryland, said his hotel handed out wrist bands marked with guests' names and room numbers so that "if something happens they can quickly identify us."
"That was a little bit sobering," he said, standing outside the hotel with his luggage.
The storm killed four people in a daylong march across the length of Jamaica, where it ripped off roofs and downed power lines. About 4,000 people were displaced from their homes, with about half relocated to shelters. Prime Minister Bruce Golding said the government sent helicopters Friday to rescue 31 people trapped by floods.
At least 59 people died in Haiti and eight in the Dominican Republic.
Rise In Gas And Oil Prices
As much as 80 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas production could be shut down as a precaution if Gustav enters as a major storm, weather research firm Planalytics predicted. Oil companies have already evacuated hundreds of workers from offshore platforms.
Retail gas prices rose Friday for the first time in 43 days as analysts warned that a direct hit on Gulf energy infrastructure could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. Crude oil prices ended slightly lower in a volatile session as some traders feared supply disruptions and others bet the U.S. government will release supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna was projected to curl westward into the Bahamas by early next week. It had sustained winds near 50 mph early Saturday.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From U.S.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 12
- next
See all 229 CommentsIf you read my post you will see that I am neutral on that question. I said that we''ll get an opportunity to evaluate the relative merits of the two parties by contrasting their reactions to Katrina vs Gustav.
I then acknowledged that Nagin would unfortunately be a common factor which by itself could screw both up.In stating that Obama would try to blame McCain in some way , shape or form I was merely stating the obvious.
I don''t see any statement that implies that the republicans are "great". Just because the dems are incompetent doesn''t imply that the repubs are competent. They do however have a chance to demonstrate competence if Gustav wreaks havoc.
I mention this because a prevalent theme in the Obama campaign has been in effect..."Bush was bad so elect us..." as though Bush''s having been bad somehow guarantees that Obama will be good, or even better. It doesn''t. Obama might well be even worse than Bush, then we''d really be screwed!
But thank you for reading the post, Keith.
Who are YOU to decide that, skyk? Get over yourself.
Democrats take no responsibility??! LOL Did you READ my original post? I place the blame on both sides of the fence. On Nagin and Blanco, yes... but you cannot ignore the footdragging and total INDIFFERENCE displayed by the Administration - starting at the very, very top. The Democrats screwed up the storm preparedness, but you Republicans screwed up the aftermath. Accept it and move on.
You cannot bury the facts with your false outrage and your sputtering, name-calling non-arguments. You accuse me of the very thing you are doing: refusing to acknowledge your own party''s complicity in this.
You have resorted to the same thing all Republicans do when confronted with those pesky facts: You bluster and call names and spout talking points. I posted no talking points. I posted three pages of FACTS my friend, so save your "I know you are but what am I?" style of arguing for someone who gives a ***.
You, Demwatcher, are a blind, Republican shill. You are doing Karl Rove''s work for him by buying into his spin and outright lies.
Rant all you want, I''m done with you.
I still can''t believe they re-elected him..
Sickening people.
Posted by GarbageStopr at 06:42 AM : Aug 31, 2008
NO, what AMERICAN''s are doing is remembering the INCOMPETENCE and HORRIBLE FACTS of how BUSH and the FASCIST responded to a Storm! Put away the swastika and try being an AMERICAN for a change! Now stand... let''s let Shooter and the Fuhrer know you are out here attacking those "Liberals". Don''t worry we won''t tell anyone you aren''t intelligent enough to even know the meaning of the word!! SIEG HEIL McBush
Just don''''t come here. We don''''t want your criminals or you culture of "gimme some more"
Posted by mjvw2 at 07:47 AM : Aug 31, 2008
You know the one''s who come where ever it is you live will be "Criminals" or "gimme some more" people because?? Do you know even one of these people? Have any of them ever asked you personally for anything? Oh! I get it!! Your a Simple minded Fascist and you are playing with your Magic Swastika again.. never mind you can go on with your Cross Burning now! By the way do you freaks still burn those things?? Sieg Heil McSlime
http://www.intellicast.com/Storm/Hurricane/Active.aspx?storm=1&type=track
Just don''t come here. We don''t want your criminals or you culture of "gimme some more"
----------------------------------------------
It''s all about risk. Risk of earthquake hitting any given year in those areas is low. Risk of hurricane hitting N.O. in any given year is now very high.
Posted by tmittelstaed at 06:30 AM : Aug 31, 2008
So you have problem with US tax money to be spent on US Citizens, but you see no problem in spending $3 billion yearly on a NON-AMERICAN CAUSE, NON-AMERICAN GOD CHOSEN PEOPLE and a NON-AMERICAN HOLY LAND, to buy HATRED, TERRORISM and 9/11 for GOD-NEGLECTED AMERICANS and UNHOLY LAND UNITED STATES.
Sickening people.
Consider that the week after Katrina if you had short-sold the remains of your home then, that today your credit would be clean.
People were criticizing FEMA for not providing rebuilding money last week. *** good thing they didn''t - it would have just been taxpayer money down the drain.
All we can hope now is the people being evacuated from New Orleans stay away and don''t come back. The levees around it should be breached and the land allowed to go back to the seafloor that it came from. I don''t see why my tax dollars should be paying to rebuild a city that gets washed away every 3 years.
Did I miss something?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 12
- next
See all 229 Comments