(Hurricane KATRINA Monday) Hurricane Katrina slams Louisiana coast

[OKNancy]

LBN readers. Please post all Hurricane related posts here. Please remember that LBN is organized by topic. Thanks.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-29T122827Z_01_ROB586049_RTRUKOC_0_UK-WEATHER-KATRINA.xml


Hurricane Katrina slams Louisiana coast
Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:28 PM BST



By Rick Wilking

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana coast on Monday with 140 mile per hour (224 kph) winds as the powerful storm came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico and took aim at low-lying New Orleans.

The coast, much of it lightly populated swamps, was being pounded with high winds and heavy rains while New Orleans, 55 miles (88 km) northeast, braced for the worst of Katrina.

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami said the storm, now Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, was not quite the monster it had been in the open Gulf, but still packed a powerful punch. It had been a Category 5 with 175 mile per hour (280 kph) winds.

In New Orleans, wind gusts had already topped 85 miles per hour (135 kph), well above hurricane force, and the powerful centre of the storm was still two to three hours away, the centre said.

[maddezmom]

1. Katrina's Worst May Not Hit New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Katrina turned slightly to the east before slamming ashore early Monday with 145-mph winds, providing some hope that the worst of the storm's wrath might not be directed at this vulnerable, below-sea-level city.


Katrina, which weakened slightly overnight to a Category 4 storm, turned slightly eastward before hitting land, which would put the western eyewall — the weaker side of the strongest winds — over New Orleans.

But National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield warned that New Orleans would be pounded throughout the day Monday and that Katrina's potential 20-foot storm surge was still more than capable of swamping the city.

Katrina, which a day before had grown to a 175-mph, Category 5 behemoth, made landfall about 6:10 a.m. CDT east of Grand Isle in the bayou town of Buras.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/hurricane_katrina;_

[Straight Shooter]

2. A little hope is better than no hope at all. n/t

[sam sarrha]

3. that could blow the water from the lake,breach the levies and flood N.O.

[rocktivity]

4. Well, all of our hoping and praying paid off

So New Orleans won't get a direct hit right in the chops. However, I understand that a section of the superdome's roof has torn off...

:headbang:
rocknation

[LostinVA]

5. And why is this a "good thing"?

There are a bunch of posts on DU threads saying this, too, and it's beginning to irritate me. Yes, New Orleans has alot of people,buildings, etc. But they also have alot of services and support. When a small/rural area is hit, it is at least just as devastating, and often more so. Many of these small coastal towns are made up of shrimpers, etc., and a loss from a hurricane destroys them, and the area.

I grew up in such a small town on the East Coast, and it galled us to no end when the news people would say something like this.

All of these news reports saying thank Goddess, NO is missed, is kinda insulting to all of areas it does hit. Hey, as long as NO is safe, who cares about your little bayou town.

I'm glad New Orleans didn't get Landfall, but some other poor town did...

Just venting. Sorry! Not trying to start a flamefest, I swear!

[Doremus]

12. I always thought that was in poor taste too

And I'm not even in hurricane country...

[Bridget Burke]

13. Because New Orleans is below sea level.

A direct hit would be more likely to flood the city. Not the short term floods we often get in Houston--but flooding that must be pumped out--slowly.

There's plenty of destruction go around.

[belle]

15. Well and also that the storm fell off a little before hitting land at all.

[rocktivity]

19. It's all about the lesser of two evils.

The less death and destruction, the better--it's that simple.

:headbang:
rocknation

[northzax]

21. for the same reason

we store nuclear waste in rural Nevada rather than under Times Square. The possibility for disaster increases exponentially in urban areas.

And then there is the added point that at about 1 am EST, I wouldn't have given you even odds that New Orleans would be wiped off the face of the map.

And thirdly, given that we are all paying for reconstruction, I'd rather get a 10 billion tab than a 50 billion one.

[aquart]

73. Because of the economy of the entire nation?

Because this is a major oil port?

Because this is one of our few truly historic cities with irreplaceable sites?

It matters to every American if New Orleans is destroyed. Honestly? If a town we only see as we pass thru on the way to somewhere else is destroyed, it only matters to the people involved. That's personal tragedy. The loss of this city would be a national tragedy.

You may not like that difference, but it's a true one.

[donheld]

87. It's because New Orleans is below sea level

It could turn the town into a lake that could sit for months. Causing HEAVY loss of life and many billions of dollars in property damage. Plus disease etc. New Orleans is far different than Biloxi.

It's not that we don't value places like Biloxi or the rest of the gulf coast, but we do realize that New Orleans is different.

[Retrograde]

103. may i be cynical?

I brought this up last year during the series of hurricanes that hit Florida: my theory of restaurant proximity. If a story can be covered by reporters staying in good hotels near good restaurants then that location will get the majority of the air time. I first noticed this in 1989 after the Loma Prieta earthquake, when the TV news showed the same footage of the relatively small amount of damage in San Francisco (but not so small for the people affected) and ignored the widespread damage in some of the poor, mainly Hispanic farming towns nearer the epicenter.

I'm glad New Orleans escaped as "lightly" as it did - and having had to clean up after a tiny flood I can't even begin to imagine all that the residents will have to do in the next months to get back to something remotely resembling normal. But there are going to be people in Biloxi and Gulfport and all those other small towns who are not going to get the media attention - or a lot of the relief efforts.

[KeepItReal]

6. Biloxi, Mississippi looks like it will get the worst of it

New Orleans is not nearly out of the danger zone, though.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. only 130 mph winds. and only 18 ft storm surge, not 25.

hey, it only floods a little.

Where are the Bush scientists who denied global warming and the prediction of increased storms and hurricanes as a result?

[rocktivity]

20. There's been one levee breach

ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL AT TENNESSE STREET...

:scared:
rocknation

[SoCalDem]

8. Did Ole Haley take this seriously enough?

I don't remember if he ordered evacuations?/ I hope people did leave:scared:

[DemBones DemBones]

11. MSNBC is saying the eye is aimed at Biloxi now.

I hope this will mean fewer deaths than if it hit NOLA directly.

[AlGore-08.com]

9. CNN reports "Worst of Katrina now hitting NO" at 8:45 CDT

No breatches of levees reported yet.

[OKNancy]

10. Katrina batters roof of Superdome

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/


Katrina batters roof of Superdome
Worst of storm still to come for Mississippi

Monday, August 29, 2005; Posted: 9:38 a.m. EDT (13:38 GMT)

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina flogged Louisiana's southeastern shore Monday morning with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph as it moved inland, the National Hurricane Center said.

New Orleans, braced for a catastrophic direct hit from the powerful Category 4 storm, hunkered nearly 10,000 people in its mammoth Superdome, but Ed Reams of CNN affiliate WDSU reported that the structure has begun leaking as the winds damaged the roof letting daylight and rainwater in the darkened arena.

"I can see daylight straight up from inside the Superdome," Reams reported.

National Guard troops moved people to the other side of the dome. Others were moving beneath the concrete-reinforced terrace level.

[Blue_Roses]

14. geeze

what a nightmare for these people.

[ticapnews]

17. The Governor and National Guard say no "structural damage"

The fabric tore off, but the metal infrastructure was not damaged.

[AlGore-08.com]

25. UPI reports major damage at shelters at Chalmette & St. Bernard HS

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20050829-09345100-bc-us-katrina-damage-1stld.xml

Superdome roof peels off

(snip)

The Mississippi River was reported to have risen 15 feet since Sunday night.

In St. Bernard Parish, spokesman Larry Ingargiola said shelters -- at Chalmette and St. Bernard high schools -- suffered major damage, WWL-TV reported. CNN reported the parish's 911 center was destroyed by the storm.

As of 6 a.m., 317,000 Entergy customers were without power as were 40,000 Cleco customers in St. Tammany Parish.

(more, but not much... )

[markus]

16. CBS News report levee breached on Industrial Canal

No link. I got this verbally from my sister watching TV hunkered down in El Dorado Arkansas.

Feeds from WWL and WDSU TV are intermitent at best at this time.

Reports of the loss of a partial roof at a shelter in St. Bernard Parish. These were basically the people who couldn't be moved.

IMHO nobody should be in St. Bernard or New Orleans East at this time. These places are much more of a potential deathtrap than the Superdome would be.

More as I can get my feeds back (working at the office via dialup, where streaming on the main net is blocked).

[ticapnews]

18. MSNBC said Ward 9 in NOLA is under water...

Banner on MSNBC: Hurricane Katrina swells to the size of Florida.

[AlGore-08.com]

22. CNN keeps saying "total structural failure" in NO

But no details on how widespread the damage is, or where they're getting that report from (except that it's not the Super Dome).

[markus]

23. WDSU TV: Unconfirmed report of 7' of water in East Jefferson Hospital

That would indicate levee breech or topping from Lake Pontchartrain (or the rainwater draingage canals) in east Jefferson. This hospital is close to the lake.

WLOX TV in Biloxi has had to evacuate their newsroom due to roof damage to their facility.

h

[ticapnews]

24. A call from someone who tried to ride out the storm (MSNBC)

Chris Robinson (or Robertson) east of NOLA, apparently called 911 saying he was trapped in his house. He had a crowbar and a hammer, but didn't want to break through his roof unless he had to. He was begging for someone to come get him: "I want to live"

It sounds like his house is filled with water...

[Bridget Burke]

26. One of the weather guys on WWL

Said that, if you move to the attic, be sure to take an axe. People can drown in they are trapped up there.

Sounds like it's time for this guy to break through the roof.

[bleedingheart]

27. I agree. Time to rip open the roof and get out.

[The Stranger]

36. No air or water rescue available in 130 mph winds.

He is in trouble; may be better to evacuate to higher ground/structures.

[Bridget Burke]

39. And evacuation is not possible, either.

His best bet--make that hole in the roof & hold on tight.

I read "A Weekend in September" as a kid--it's the story of the Galveston storm of 1900. There was no advance warning in those days. (It's still an excellent book.)

[leftchick]

28. Hurricane Peels Holes in Superdome Roof

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_superdome;

NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Katrina ripped away part of the roof on the Louisiana Superdome as thousands of storm refugees huddled inside Monday.

Strips of metal were peeled away, creating two holes that were visible from the floor of the huge arena. Water dripped in and people were moved away from about five sections of seats directly below.

Others watched as sheets of metal flapped visibly and noisily. From the floor, more than 19 stories below the dome, the openings appeared to be 6 feet long.

"The superdome is not in any dangerous situation," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.

General Manager Glenn Menard said he did not know how serious the problem was. "We have no way of getting anyone up there to look," he said.

[ticapnews]

33. Brian Williams on MSNBC is in the Superdome...

and said, "All respect to the National Guard, but this is a serious problem." There are two 7'x7' holes already, and he says there are more cracks appearing.

In MS, there are sailboats on I-90, which is completely flooded.

The eye is about to hit just east of the LA/MS border.

[katinmn]

52. CNN correspondents' blog:

Posted 10:27 a.m. ET

Jeanne Meserve, downtown New Orleans

The winds are just incredible here in New Orleans ... we can see the roof of the Superdome, but the membrane over the top of the Superdome has been shredded. It is hanging off the building in pieces. We still see no signs from this vantage point that anyone is being moved out of the building.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/scene.blog/index.html

[Barkley]

29. Any news on damaged oil rigs?

That's was supposed to cut the supply and raise prices.

[maddezmom]

30. haven't heard anything yet

[Bridget Burke]

31. Nobody will know until after the storm.

The rigs are empty now. Crews are taken to land at the first sign of a hurricane.

[Up2Late]

32. Haven't heard about the Rigs, but they say their is an Oil Tanker...

...that broke loose from it's moorings in Mobile Bay, 3 tugs trying to control it right now.

This report is from The Weather Channel.

[meganmonkey]

34. Do you know if it was full or empty?

on edit: there is no 'l' in empty :P

[Up2Late]

43. Not sure, but they just updated the story and said they have it...

...under control. I think they said they had manage to get it tied up again but, I'm not 100% sure on the terms they used.

[mom cat]

35. Any more word on levee breeches and flooding in NOLA?

[Up2Late]

37. Storm Surge report from Biloxi, Miss., Cars underwater in parking lot

of the Veterans Retirement residence, and 1st floor is under about 3-4 inches of water.

Biloxi, where this report is coming from is 27 feet above Sea level, so storm surge is about 30-35 feet.

Report is from Jim Cantori of The Weather Channel

[KittyWampus]

50. Jim Cantore Is One Of The Really Impressive Weather Reporters

when he was on last night looking grim... I knew it could be bad.

[jobycom]

83. Doesn't mean 30 to 35 foot storm surge

Even for Category 5s a 25 foot surge is rare. The water can come from waves on top of the storm surge, or from the storm surge splashing into the building. Also, rain will be flowing out to the Gulf as the storm surge comes in, so the water could be rain or river run-off. You've seen flooding from massive rain storms when the drains back up? That happens during hurricanes, especially, as the drains fill with tidal surge and the rivers and bayous are backed up against the storm surge--there's nowhere to drain.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

91. good thing the tides were low.

otherwise, storm + surge + winds = disaster

[jobycom]

95. It still looks bad. I read somewhere they are saying 22 foot storm surge

That's incredible for a Category 3. That's high for a Category 5. If the tide had been high, it could have been a lot worse. It still looks like it is really bad. I read that two of my schools in Gulfport have collapsed--my elementary school, and my 9th grade school. Both of these survived Elena, which was supposed to be a stronger storm.

[malaise]

84. Any word on Jim Cantori?

Heard their rented cars washed away and they were under water in Gulfport, Mississippi.
The Weather Channel's storm tracker Jim Cantore is reporting a storm surge of at least 27 feet in Gulfport, Mississippi.

http://www.weather.com/multimedia/index.html?clip=2645&collection=topstory

Hope he's OK - he's one of the best.

[Up2Late]

109. I saw, a few hours ago, that Jim C is fine, but they lost power and he...

...was helping seal up the ground floor to keep the water out.

His Producer Simon said it was the absolute worst he had ever seen in 17 of covering storms.

[Algorem]

38. Whatserface on ABC said unconfirmed report of a building collapse

[auntAgonist]

40. Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, on east side of city, under 5 to 6 feet

of water after pumps fail, mayor says. Details soon.

http://www.cnn.com/US/

[kick-ass-bob]

42. Is there a map of NO somewhere so we can see what parts these are?

Anyone?

[Tesibria]

45. Map of N.O. with Wards

kind of hard to read, but the best I could find:

http://www.mardigrasdigest.com/travel/new_orleans_districts_and_wards.htm

[kick-ass-bob]

47. That works, thanks.

I just wanted to know what part of the city that was.

[mom cat]

101. That was a big help, thanks.

[Henny Penny]

49. here's the google map link....

http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=New+Orleans,+LA

[Up2Late]

65. Oh that's not good, I hope you mean "...the pumps fail to keep up..."

...and not "the Pumps Fail" as it they quit working.

The 9th Ward is where the Levey failed (on the industrial canal.

[AlGore-08.com]

78. CNN reporting 3 pumps failed

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/index.html

Katrina's floodwaters inundating Gulf Coast
New Orleans pumps fail; Mississippi coast like 'hell on earth'

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Parts of New Orleans are flooded with up to six feet of water Monday after some of the pumps that protect the low-lying city failed under the onslaught from Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin said.

Nagin said the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, on the east side of the city, was under five to six feet of rising water after three pumps failed.

(More... )

[markus]

77. This was the area most threatened (9th Ward and St. Bernard)

There is a direct connection to the Gulf via the MRGO and to the lake via the Industrial Canal (which links to the MRGO). The MRGO is the large artificial ship channel running east ouf the area you're probably viewing.

Re: the pumps: the the Super Dome is taking water, then it's likely that some pumping stations are off line. That area is likely drained by the Broad ST. station, and inner city station located at the bottom of the bowl. It could be innundated.

The good news is that the pressure from the east should start to drop. The bad news for the Ninth Ward and the entire lakefront is tha winds clocking though north will be trying to push the water already shoved into Lake Pontchartrain into the city, and there are already reports of flooding in lakefront Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

[dweller]

41. CBS radio reporting

rain falling at the rate of 18 inches per hour

says the worst of the storm is over the city right now.

dp

[mom cat]

44. New Orleans is sinking . . . I don't want to swim

http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/

New Orleans is sinking . . . I don't want to swim

9:34 - Reports of widespread flooding now, although not at the doomsday scenario levels. But we've got several hours to go before we've seen the worst past. Scanner traffic is busy with calls of rising water, including 18 inches and rising against the levee in the French Quarter. Dispatchers questioning officers on the scene, trying to determine if there is a break in the river levee, or if water is pouring over the top. Independently, NOLA has received a flooding alert for the French Market area.

Fairly heavy street flooding in front and behind the Times-Picayune . . . water appears about knee deep, whipped by the steady wind into whitecaps and breakers. Water is hubcap deep on the furthest vehicles in the employee parking lot, and rising quickly.

[Citizen Jane]

46. The Italian Newspaper La Repubblica has the photos I haven't seen here yet

http://www.repubblica.it/

In addition to those photos showing on the homepage you can...

Click on the links:

"Ecco il fotoracconto"
For a slide show

Or

"(FOTO: PRIMA E DOPO)"
For a before and after picture (so far) of the superdome

These really are better pictures than I've found on many U.S. websites for those of us following it without streaming video right now.

[meganmonkey]

48. Wow - those are great pix

thanks for the link.

[Citizen Jane]

53. No problem

They "story" link takes you to a Blog updating regularly (they did the same thing when John Paull II was dying).

I should have given a brief (non-professional so no flames please!) translation for those who don't read Italian:

"Katrina" devastante
New Orleans al buio
Danni al Superdome
Ecco il fotoracconto
LA DIRETTA. La tempesta è sulla costa della Louisiana. Ora è stato declassato alla categorie 3. Diverse fessure nella copertura dello stadio (FOTO: PRIMA E DOPO) dove ci sono migliaia di persone rifugiate. Il petrolio vola a 70 dollari / GRAFICO NYT
SATELLITE - WEBCAM - ANIMAZIONE - SITO NOAA
FOTO: EVACUATI / STADIO / AUDIOGALLERY
LA PAGINA DEI VIDEO SUL PORTALE YAHOO!
LE IMMAGINI: IL SALVATAGGIO DEI DELFINI

"Katrina" devastates
New Orleans in the dark
Damage to the Superdome
Here (is) a photo-recounting (slide show)
The direct (blog) The stomr is on the coast of Lousiana. Now it has been downgraded to a category Three. Several cracks in the covers of the stadium (photo: before and after) where there are thousands of people taking refuge. Gasoline rises to seventy dollars/ NYT Graphic
Satellite - Webcam - Animation - Noaa Website
Photos: Evacuations / Stadium / Audio Gallery
The page of video on the Yahoo Portal.
The images: The salvation of the dolphins

I'll check in from time to time...let me know if you need me to attempt to translate anything

Oh yeah, "uragano" is, as you all will easily figure out, Italian for "hurricane"

:cry:

[Mist]

62. Those ARE great pics--those photographers really did a great job!

This shows me so much more than I'm getting on TV.

[K8-EEE]

70. Thanks So Much - Journalism Is So Bad In The US These Days!

I tried to watch "coverage" on the tee-vee nuz but couldn't stomach these bimbos preening for the camera working their "concerned" face....really I've gotten so I just can't take them any more! Why don't they show us images of what is happening like these pix??

[demo dutch]

86. Some of those pictures are from flooding in Miami-Dade county, FL

[Mist]

51. Just caught a report from Houma, LA (west of NO)

Seems quite mild compared to what's going on east of NO. Thank the gods for something--Katrina's been classed as a level 3 storm, but that's still plenty of damage!

[katinmn]

55. downgraded to 3. Well, that is something at least. Still....

it's one of the worst situations right now.

I hope the top of the dome holds.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

54. My sweet little Biloxi where my grandson was born

will get major destruction. Probably not as bad as when the casinos moved in, but still it will be awful

[strizi64]

56. 11:17am 08/29/05 LEVEE BREACHED IN NEW ORLEANS AS KATRINA HITS

11:17am 08/29/05 LEVEE BREACHED IN NEW ORLEANS AS KATRINA HITS -- WEATHER.COM

[Tesibria]

57. this is same levee already reported by CNN/MSNBC

link: http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/?from=wxcenter_news

[strizi64]

61. President Bush considers tapping oil reserves, reports say

11:37am 08/29/05
President Bush considers tapping oil reserves, reports say

By Stephanie I. Cohen

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- President Bush is considering tapping emergency stockpiles of oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in response to Hurricane Katrina's disruption of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, a report from the Associated Press said Monday. Bush is slated to speak in Arizona at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday. The president can authorize the release of the federally owned supplies in the event of a national emergency.

So, did they earn enough :evilgrin: ?

[Tesibria]

58. CNN Update - 11:14 am - People trapped on roof

See http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/index.html

WGNO, reporter Susan Roesgen, who is with the mayor at the Hyatt hotel, said New Orleans police had received more than 100 calls about people in the area trapped on their roofs.

Also, new pics on CNN site at http://www.cnn.com/

[bac511]

59. Anderson Cooper on WAPT 16 right now

Getting the shit kicked out of him on a bridge in Baton Rouge...
MSNBC live video feed.

[The Stranger]

60. Getting the shit kicked out of him? Well, at least something good came

out of this disaster . . .

(Just a little humor may help . . ).

[Mist]

72. Damn--missed him! Will he be back later? n/t

[Tesibria]

63. WWLTV Report of Damage (flooding, damage)

See http://www.wwltv.com/

Senator Walter Boasso of St. Bernard Parish says there is 12 feet of water in most of the parish, up to the second floor in many homes.

Reports of 3-4 feet of water in Lakeview.

Apartment building on Wright Avenue in Terrytown has collapsed with people inside, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee. Rescue crews have not been able to get to the scene as of 9:30 a.m.

* * *

.. A LEVEE BREACH OCCURRED ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL AT TENNESSE STREET. 3 TO 8 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED DUE TO THE BREACH...LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ARABI AND 9TH WARD OF NEW ORLEANS.

St. Bernard Parish spokesman Larry Ingargiola says the parish's two shelters at Chalmette High and St. Bernard High are suffering major damage. He said Chalmette High shelter is losing its roof, and St. Bernard High has plenty of broken windows and glass. He estimates 300-plus refugees at the two sites.

* * *

[markus]

69. Can anybody identify the approximately location of the collapse pic on CNN

I've been away too much since '86, and too much has changed and Ican't figure ou the buildings in the background?


The reports so far are all very consistent with Hurricane Betsy in '64: flooding in St. Bernard, New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward. Flooding in other areas close to the lake and/or drainage canals (East Jeff Hospital, Lakeview).


As the winds clock north, the major flooding threat will shift to Lake Pontchartrain, and this same north wind will push more water into the Industrial Canal, exacerbating the flooding from the levee failure there around Tennesee St.

[sabra]

64. Katrina To Send Gas Prices Higher

http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=A1FF5E40-5200-48CE-9DF7-E99EFAB2E9DE

Katrina To Send Gas Prices Higher


WASHINGTON (AP) - Crude oil prices, as well as wholesale gasoline prices, are on the rise as the markets react to Hurricane Katrina's trek through the Gulf of Mexico.

As result, gasoline prices are poised to jump to new highs this week as the hurricane barreled toward the heart of U-S oil production and refining operations.

Light sweet crude for October delivery jumped surged to as high as 70 dollars, 80 cents a barrel in electronic overnight trading.

...

The Bush administration is expected to announce later today whether it will tap the nation's emergency stockpile of crude.

[bluestateguy]

68. It's time for price controls

The Republicans are so fond of WWII analogies, they should have no problem with good old-fashioned, 1940's style price controls because we are at war.

[Conservativesux]

90. Not with fortunate son in office, but what a good point !!!!

My parents were in WWII and this isnt anything like what people had to do back then.

[maddezmom]

Katrina's fury hits the Gulf shore(MS)

GULFPORT - Hurricane Katrina pushed water ashore and played with power lines as the storm made landfall.

As people began waking up to the storm, calls came in to television and emergency management officials.

Widespread power outages have been reported all along the Coast.

Hancock County is under mandatory evacuation and expects to see the worst damage from the storm.

Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre said emergency personnel got a call asking for help for an evacuation about 6 a.m. at Paradise Point, but they were unable to get out and perform the rescue.

more:http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/12502713.htm

[freedomburn]

66. The weather channel satelite pictures sure look scary...

I really hope that things don't go badly for the city of New Orleans. That is one terrific place, and I don't want to wake up to find out that it was washed out into the Gulf.

[wli]

67. the idiocy of above-ground power lines continues... n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

71. burying them brings a host of other problems

Homeowners dying when hitting burried lines by accident,
Leakages
Shortcurcuits due to shifting land (every spring and winter)
cost of repair and maintenance
cost of upgrades

[Bridget Burke]

75. The Texas Medical Center has underground power lines.

Flooding often leads to temporary power outages.

Several hospitals were in severe trouble after Houston's most recent Great Flood. (Mostly those whose emergency generators were in the bloody basement--others did OK.)

[wli]

104. odd that I don't hear much of this about Europe

IIRC much of Europe buried its power lines and I hear rather little about these sorts of affairs. Either the stories aren't propagating, they have some environmental advantage that avoids these issues, or they build them to be immune to these effects somehow.

I wonder which of these it is.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

106. if you insulate (extremely well)

if you use conduit that prevents short circuits with flooding or heavy rain, and if you spend a lot on infrastructure to begin with, you can minimize some of the problems. But, look at the general state of our electrical grid. Do YOU see anyone moving technology up the scale and increasing reliability? It is stretched to capacity as it is.

[kick-ass-bob]

74. during Fran, our underground lines into our complex

meant we did not have power for 10 days - while our neighbors with above ground were back online in 4.

[Lorien]

76. 11 days to reconnect our above ground power lines after Charley

a backhoe and citizens with chainsaws worked days to clear the street. it was impassible from downed oaks.

[AlGore-08.com]

79. CNN reporting emergency workers should be able to enter NO around 2 pm CST

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/29/hurricane.katrina/index.html

(snip)

The weather service reported "total structural failure" in some parts of metropolitan New Orleans, where Katrina brought wind gusts of 120 mph. While it offered no details, it said it had received "many reports."

Police and emergency workers should be able to enter the area and evaluate the situation by 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), according to Col. Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans.

"We'll have several hours of daylight to ... make an assessment and get out into those areas we're capable of getting into before the hours of darkness to take care of those people who are able to survive," Ebbert said.

(More... )

[Lorien]

81. Thank goodness the winds were not as severe as projected

120mph is far, far less devastating than 165-175 with gusts of 210mph, as originally projected. Some structures will have failed, but the earth will not have been scoured by category 5 winds. It sounds like the big concern now is the water levels. I pray that no one tried to ride it out in a one story building!

I'm sure conditions will be rough, but there's some sense of relief that the "worst case scenario" didn't occur.

[Tin Man]

80. Governor of Mississippi reporting unprecedented storm surge

worse than Camille in many areas of MS.

[Lorien]

82. Crap

are the waters still rising, or have they leveled off?

[Tin Man]

85. "intelligent guess" here, but I think the crest has peaked

problem is, it's only half-way over. What surges-in, must surge-out again.

[soup]

88. Biloxi and Gulfport blogs from the Sun Herald - FYI

http://eyesonkatrina.blogspot.com/

[jobycom]

89. Thanks. Looks like two of my schools are being destroyed

Lyman elementary and Harrison Central 9th Grade have both had extensive damage. Lyman is an extremely old and solid building, although there have been other buildings added over the years, and it didn't say which buildings were destroyed.

[JustSayNO 2 Sheeples]

92. CNN reports widespread damage in LOS ANGELES

Yes, the damage is widespread in LOS ANGELES, as live pictures just showed, which identified "these photos just in show downtown Los Angeles and damage to a brand new building" as stated by the CNN Weatherperson.

heh heh.

[meganmonkey]

97. They must think 'NOLA'

means Northern Los Angeles?

:shrug:

[AlGore-08.com]

98. I think they saw "New Orleans LA" or just "LA" on the teleprompter

NOLA is not an acronym used out here for any part of the city or county.

[JustSayNO 2 Sheeples]

99. Yup, a real live blooper

I know it was just a blooper... but I can't pass up a chance to point out a media mistake. This is serious stuff, since the probability is that sheeple were probably watching and they now assume Katrina has hit southern California.

[Shakespeare]

93. I don't think I've ever seen an eye stay intact so long.

That's one impressive storm. :-(

[ticapnews]

94. Jim Cantore on The Weather Channel on phone from Gulfport

says anything south of the Interstate is probably washed away. Storm surges up to 40' reported. He said the coastline itself will be permanently changed by the storm. Because of the ferocity of the storm, they can't venture outside yet, so he doesn't know how bad it is...

According to the graphic, by tomorrow 60mph+ gusts will stretch from the western tip of LA to the Indiana/Ohio border and as far east as the Tennesse/North Carolina border.

[AlGore-08.com]

96. Gulfport Fire Cheif: at least 75% of buildings have major roof damage

http://www.nbc5.com/news/4887230/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=4467772&dppid=65192

(Snip)

Gulfport, Miss., Fire Chief Pat Sullivan, who ventured into the hurricane to check threatened areas, told reporters that his city had suffered a critical blow. At least 75 percent of the buildings in Gulfport have major roof damage -- if they have a roof left at all, he said.

Similar damage was reported all long the coast. Interstate 10, the major east-west route, was closed in Harrison County due to flooding from the Biloxi River.

Wind collapsed walls at Harrison Central High School, which was closed. The Gulfport Memorial Hospital in Biloxi experienced major damage and broken windows early Monday.

(More... )

[Oreegone]

102. Thank You !!

Best clue as to what is going on... Great Link.:yourock: :headbang:

[Dover]

100. Updates about damage >>

FEMA is on the scene and is prioritizing rescues over property/infrastructure. Assessing comprehensive damage report.

Flooding to rooftops in 8th Ward.

Three confirmed fatalities so far in three different counties.

water main break in Jefferson Parish ....ALL water is UNsafe to drink (boiling will not help).

Extensive flooding in St. Bernard Parish.

Electricity out in almost all areas (may take a month to get it back to all areas).

Phone number available tomorrow (Tues) for those attempting to contact friends and relatives.

Don't come back yet

This from staff writer Geoff Pender, who is calling in reports from Hattiesburg. If you are thinking about getting in the car and coming back to South Mississippi, don't. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is telling people who have evacuated to stay away until the roads have been cleared and the National Guard is in place. If we get word when that happens, we'll pass it along.

On a different note, we have a report that portions of U.S. 90 are under seven feet of water.


posted at # 2:23 PM

Putting it all together

BY GEOFF PENDER
and MICHAEL NEWSOME
THE SUN HERALD

Hurricane Katrina brought catastrophic damage from the Coast to Hattiesburg. Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said downtown buildings were ‘imploding’ or collapsing, particularly in the 19th street area.
Coastwide there were reports of homes and buildings knocked off their foundations by storm surges as high as 28 feet.
As of Monday afternoon, no fatalities had been reported in Mississippi, but even emergency communications were sporadic at best. Harrison County Civil Defense's command post lost power and communications early Monday, and emergency operations centers in Hancock and Jackson counties had to be evacuated and moved to higher ground.
There were numerous reports of people stranded in attics or on roofs as the tidal surge and floowaters rose. At times, emergency crews were unable to go out in the heavy winds. Hospitals in the three Coast counties reported damage and problems in operations. Memorial Hospital at Gulfport reported major damage.
The first floor of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport was flooded Monday morning and workers scrambled to move medicine and equipment to higher floors. There were reports of boats blown north of U.S. 90 in Gulfport.
Numerous tornadoes were reported across South Mississippi. Beau Rivage reportedly has water up to its second floor. There was no word from the other casinos.
Gov. Haley Barbour urged people to stay put during heavy winds and flooding, and until emergency officials give the all clear.
“This is not a small storm, we have catastrophic damage on all levels.� he said. “Don't go running out into flood zones and getting bitten by snakes or wading through floodwaters that might be covering utility lines. Use good judgement in the aftermath.�
Barbour said search and rescue operations are the first priority as Katrina subsides.
Barbour and other officials had a harsh warning for those thinking of looting.
“I've urged the highway patrol and national guard to treat looters ruthlessly,� Barbour said, “The rules of engagement will be as ruthless as the law allows.

http://eyesonkatrina.blogspot.com/

[dweller]

105. our ABC local (NC) reporting

bodies being recovered from flooded areas.

no body count at this point.

tomorrow will be a sad day. . .

dp

[cyr330]

107. Ochsner Foundation Medical Center?

Has anybody heard any news about Ochsner? I heard a horror story this morning and don't care to repeat it until I can verify it. I don't want to repeat someting that may be just rumor. Thanks!

[steve2470]

108. video came in from WDSU, lots of bad flooding in E. NO, up to rooftops nt

[hnsez]

110. I Tivo'd three 24hr news channels - CNN #1 by a mile, Fox 2nd, MSNBC suk'd

These were surveyed from 12 - 3 pm EST. CNN kicked butt! Fox was, well typical Fox but MSNBC was unbelievably horrible, they kept showing the same video loop over and over, I lost count after seeing the same tape loop 8 times in a single hour.

But tonight Olberman > Everybody