Weakened Gustav Swipes New Orleans

Category 1 Hurricane Passes City, But Storm Surges Still Threaten; Canal Overtopped But Holds

(CBS/AP) 
Hard Time In The Big Easy
In the city winds snapped large branches from the majestic oak trees that form a canopy over St. Charles Avenue. Winds have also caused a car port to collapse, toppling a vehicle.

But as a nervous nation watched to see if Gustav would deliver another Katrina-style hit on the partially-rebuilt city, officials steadfastly insisted three years of planning and infrastructure upgrades had prepared them for whatever was to come.

Nearly two million people left southern Louisiana in a mammoth exodus over the past two days. Among that number: 23,000 people from New Orleans who sought help, who were moved by local and state government via bus, train and plane.

More than 63,000 displaced residents were housed in 324 shelters across eight states.

The massive effort was aimed at avoiding a terrible toll as was suffered in 2005 when nearly 1,600 people lost their lives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"We don't expect the loss of life, certainly, that we saw in Katrina," Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson told The Associated Press. "But we are expecting a lot of homes to be damaged, a lot of infrastructure to be flooded, and damaged severely."

On the high ground in the French Quarter, nasty winds whipped signs and the purple, green and gold Mardi Gras flags hanging from cast-iron balconies. Like the rest of the city, the Quarter's normally boisterous streets were deserted save for a police standing watch every few blocks and a few early-morning drinkers in the city's famous bars.

"We wanted to be part of a historic event," said Benton Love, 30, stood outside Johnny White's Sports Bar with a whiskey and Diet Coke. "We knew Johnny White's would be the place to be. We'll probably switch to water about 10 o'clock, sober up, and see if we can help out."

Those who heeded the days of warnings to get out watched from shelters and hotel rooms hundreds of miles away, praying the powerful storm and its 110-mph winds would pass without the same deadly toll.

"We're nervous, but we just have to keep trusting in God that we don't get the water again," said Lyndon Guidry, who hit the road for Florida just a few months after he was able to return to his home in New Orleans. "We just have to put our faith in God."

Residents for the most part heeded officials' pleas to flee. Reports are that there are as few as 10,000 people left in New Orleans itself - far fewer than were crammed into the Superdome three years ago - and only 100,000 along southern Louisiana.

The good news: The storm was downgraded as it makes landfall.
FEMA Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson says while the eye of the storm was expected to pass west of New Orleans, its surge could overtop levees and at least partially flood the city that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Officials were anxiously watching to see what kind of storm surge the city could face: If forecasts hold, the city could experience a storm surge of only 4 to 6 feet, compared to a surge of 10 to 14 feet at the site of landfall, said Corey Walton, a hurricane support meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center.

Katrina, by comparison, brought a storm surge of 25 feet, causing levees to break. While the Army Corps of Engineers has shored up some of the city's levee system since then, fears this time center on the city's West Bank, where levee repairs have not been completed.

And Then There's Hanna …
Hurricane Hanna brought battering waves, rain and blustery winds to the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday, closing the airport and schools and clearing the streets. Forecasters warned that it could strike the U.S. mainland.

I am so tired of Mayor Nagen putting politics before his concern for his city. I hope he would be grateful to God for things being well taken care of. But instead he took the political route by stating "Well this is an election year". Well Mayor you had better apologize for those comments or Ike could come to really take care of you!!!

[TommyCraig]

Give it a try and see where you REALLY stand...
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 07:04 PM : Sep 01, 2008
a little left of center.

[donnie766]

Harmony.com thinks I wanna big hairy texas cowboy.. *eyeroll*

[donnie766]

There''s a internet religion test that tells ya what religion you are. It told me: "Heaven''s gator".

[donnie766]

I took that IQ test and got -8.

[realpatriot1]

nancy_Naive,

I took the test.

I''m Ghandi.

[donnie766]

Its just people.. People just wanna know from time to time that they can act stupid.. and not git arrested.

[donnie766]

People just like acting stupid sometimes. Its noth''n personal, ya know. Its just people. Politicians, being the so called ''people experts'', should realize that.

[donnie766]

They''re only doing it because they''re anonymous, patriot.

[realpatriot1]

I continue to struggle to love everyone equally in a world where others joke and brag about hating everyone equally.

[realpatriot1]

txgrouch2006,

I find the use of the world culture by you to be somewhat ironic.

roy214,

There''s nothing better than having one''s prayers answered. I put my faith in God today to watch over New Orleans. Let''s continue to pray for the other citizens effected in the Gulf, especially those in the Parish where the levee has appaently breached.

[roy214]

I have pray and God answer and I am happy and please thank be to God alleluia God is good and God is incharge God Bless America and alls it''s peoples amen .It''s a very good thing to overcome evil by good and I do believe that''s true so shall you,amen.God have not given me anything less then what me in my children''s ask for in our prayer for the peoples of new orleans in regard to gustav I am well please and thank you Lord for you are God the God almighty,amen in Jesus-Christ name I thank you my God.

[slim1h2o]

** Not the actual names, didn`t have time to write them down
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 06:11 PM : Sep 01, 2008

What are you trying to say?

That a man works from sun to sun, but womans work is never done?

LOL

[txgrouch2006]

ever hear of planning ahead and using good old plastic milk jugs?
Posted by lovesamerica at 04:50 PM : Sep 01, 2008

You just don''t understand the culture. What you have to understand is, that would involve EFFORT...

[mikebeat1]

Gotta love the irony. Focus on Family evangelical asks his congregation to pray for rain during Obama''s outdoor speech.

[txgrouch2006]

** Not the actual names, didn`t have time to write them down
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 06:11 PM : Sep 01, 2008

Oh, Nancy is here. Someone open a window.

[txgrouch2006]

This is terrible news. I was hoping to get a good deal on a new plasma TV, and I guess that is not going to happen now.
Posted by haoli25 at 05:48 PM : Sep 01, 2008

IT''S BUSH''S FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, something to blame on Bush.

[haoli25]

This is terrible news. I was hoping to get a good deal on a new plasma TV, and I guess that is not going to happen now.

[txgrouch2006]

if you watch the weather map there are 3 more storms coming so far. If you care to look beyond the conspirecy theory, there are major changes happening to our planet and it is no ones fault except HUMANS.
Posted by lovesamerica at 03:23 PM : Sep 01, 2008

Oh, jeepers creepers. We humans are so evil, we should be banished from this planet... LOL!

Have you ever heard of the ICE AGE??? Were humans to blame for that??? I hear it warmed up since then. Is that our fault, too?

During the 1600''s there was a "mini ice age." Crops failed and there was massive starvation for a century or so. Did we cause that?

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE HAPPENS. It''s a fact of history. Maybe we have a tiny bit of a contribution to it. But the current warming trend would be happening with us or without us.

And as for you hope that more hurricanes will give MORE CHANCES for your gloom and doom to come true - SORRY!!! The more hurricanes cross the Gulf of Mexico, the cooler the water gets and the WEAKER the next hurricane will be.

I''m sure you''re SO DISAPPOINTED to learn that...

Sorry libtards - no human catastrophe for you today.

[lovesamerica]

negro voter, bottled water? ever hear of planning ahead and using good old plastic milk jugs?