Right now, Hurricane Katrina is lining up for the Big Easy and may actually do a first class wreckin' job to New Orleans. The city had the delightgul geographic distinction of sitting below sea level and while there are levees, the water levels are expected to go over the levees. This doesn't bode well. Good luck to all the folks who're have to face Katrina and the Waves. Sunshine's not what you'll be walking on.

The storm's hit category 5 with 175 mph winds. This means she could conceivably almost completely wipeout the city to just about nothing. This could also disrupt the oil supply. I've included the story and a link the American Red Cross for folks who might want to don ate. Wherever this thing hits, the folks there will need all the help they can get.

Cat. 5 Katrina Heads Towards New Orleans
Written by Lesly Simmons , Writer, Redcross.org

Sunday, August 28, 2005 — Hurricane Katrina is now an incredibly strong Category 5 storm heading straight for New Orleans with sustained winds at 175 miles per hour.

NOAA Aug. 28, 2005
To find shelters in the affected areas only, please contact your local Red Cross chapter. For shelter information in Louisiana, please call 1-800-469-4828.


“This is a once in a lifetime event,” said New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. ““We are telling all of our citizens to leave New Orleans. Never before has the city of New Orleans seen a storm this big heading directly toward it.”

Mandatory evacuations are in place for the entire New Orleans metropolitan area. About 70 percent of New Orleans is below sea level, and the city is protected by a series of levees. Katrina could cause storm surges up to 20 feet, which would completely overwhelm the levees and cause massive flooding.

“The problem we are having is that if the storm surges are that high, they will pop our levels and lots of New Orleans will be under water,” said Nagin, who is urging seriousness, but not panic.

Katrina is now moving west/northwest at 12 mph, putting its arrival time in the New Orleans area sometime tomorrow morning or early afternoon.

This storm is stronger than Hurricane Camille, the devastating storm that hit New Orleans in 1969. Camille killed 256 people after it slammed ashore with winds at over 200 miles per hour. Thousands of people were left homeless all along the shore and far inland.


Only three Cat. 5 storms have ever hit the United States:

The unnamed Labor Day hurricane of 1935;
Hurricane Camille in 1969; and
Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Katrina might also disrupt the nation’s oil supply, as Nagin said nearly one-third of the nation’s oil moves through the area. He added that at least 1,500 National Guard troops are available, to deploy and assist with cleanup efforts after the storm moves through the area.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of this disaster and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

Response

Not a lot to say really. Just pray for the folks in NOLA. Jambalaya wouldn't be the same without you.

posted by Stithmeister @ 8:29 PM
 
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