The latest on Katrina from the AP: Louisiana Residents Not Taking Katrina Seriously?
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Residents in south Louisiana jammed freeways in a rush to get out of the way of hurricane Katrina, but officials worried that not enough people were taking the monster Category 4 storm seriously enough. "People need to take this very seriously and get to a safe area while they can," said State Police Sgt. Frank Coates. By Saturday evening, Mayor C. Ray Nagin was visiting New Orleans television stations and urging people to leave - just hours before Katrina strengthened early Sunday to Category 4 with winds of 145 mph. Katrina was expected to hit the Gulf Coast early Monday and a hurricane warning was in effect from Morgan City to the Alabama-Florida border.
She's now up to 150mph "sustained" winds, Dan.
The interstate has been turned into a "one way"...outbound only. Local TV is updating every half hour. They are also showing the line of cars, so it seems that they are heeding the warning....the problem is that with sunup will come major traffic problems and rooms further inland are scarce, if not nonexistant by now.
Everyone, PLEASE pray that as many get out of NO as possible as she's expected to reach a cat5 before landfall. NO is under sea level, and a direct hit will be a major major catastrophy.
Sitting here watching and praying for a miracle as I am also in the projected path...60 miles inland from NO. May God help us all here in south Louisiana.
Posted by: Kathleen | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 06:05 AM
Did you see the gridlock on the interstate?
Posted by: FloridaPatty | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 06:38 AM
If you're around Kathleen - email me.
Posted by: Dan | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 07:14 AM
I keep watching the news on this. I don't understand the pictures being shown. They keep saying that all highways out of New Orleans are one way, but I see one lane of traffic heading out, that is at a dead standstill and 8 other lanes that are totally empty. Does anyone know why this is?
Posted by: sleepy | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 07:16 AM
email sent, Dan.
155mph now...just upgraded to Cat5.
Posted by: Kathleen | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 07:28 AM
The image shown might have been one of these 3:
The transition lane where the contraflow was started and everyone was making there way onto both lanes in both direction. There would be an empty lane (coming in to the City). That would have been at I-10 west out of the City.
At the Crescent City Connection..on the westbank of the Mississippi River going west. The 8-lanes merge into 3.
At the I-10 interchange with I-610 just at the Jefferson PArish/Orleans PArish line.
The only other two areas would be the I-10 twin spans going east over Lake Pontchartrain and the Causeway Bridge.
Think what you were seeing was one of the first 2.
Posted by: lsu76 | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 07:34 AM
I got back to you Kathleen. I'll be around - just make sure you are OK.
Posted by: Dan | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 08:11 AM
EVERYONE in any path of this hurricane better be on alert. this includes wind, flooding and wind ,blowing down trees, debri. etc. I fell sad for anyone involved. This is already a killer storm and i know there will be more. god bless everyone involved.
I know. Dennis was bad enough for me. i cannot even imagine this one. all these kinds of storms are dangerous ! take them seriously ! even way inland !!
Posted by: ! | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 01:47 PM