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Hurricane Gustav batters US coast Hurricane Gustav batters US towns
(about 1 hour later)
Hurricane Gustav has made landfall south-west of New Orleans, battering the US Gulf coast with torrential rain. Hurricane Gustav is advancing inland from the US Gulf coast, bringing with it torrential rain and severe winds.
Its outer rim snapped power cables and choked storm drains in New Orleans, before weakening to Category One. The eye of the storm, which left nearly 90 people dead last week as it crossed the Caribbean, is bearing down on the Louisiana community of Lafayette.
A sea surge was feared and water was clearing levees, but they were expected to hold, according to officials. The worst of the storm made landfall west of New Orleans, apparently sparing it from the kind of devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.
"We are cautiously optimistic... we won't see catastrophic wall failure," said Col Jeff Bedey, head of the unit responsible for flood defences. An estimated two million people have fled inland from the Louisiana coast.
US President George W Bush has flown to Austin, Texas, about 400 miles (640km) west of where the storm made landfall in Louisiana, to oversee the government response. Hurricane Gustav is quickly losing strength after making landfall in Louisiana, and has been downgraded to a Category One storm, with winds of 90mph (145km/h).
"This storm has yet to pass. It's a serious event," he said at a briefing by emergency officials. But he insisted that the emergency response to Gustav "is a lot better than during Katrina" - the hurricane that wreaked havoc three years ago. The storm is expected to move into Texas overnight, dumping as much as 20in (50cm) of rain there by Thursday.
US President George W Bush is in Austin, Texas, to oversee the government response.
He said Gustav was a "serious event" and insisted that the emergency response was "a lot better than during Katrina".
Mr Bush praised those who had heeded the warnings to evacuate, saying he understood how hard it was for citizens to "pull up stakes".Mr Bush praised those who had heeded the warnings to evacuate, saying he understood how hard it was for citizens to "pull up stakes".
Ghost townGhost town
An estimated two million people have headed inland from the Louisiana coast to escape the hurricane - the largest evacuation in state history. The exodus from the Louisiana coast is the largest evacuation in state history.
Many New Orleans residents have fled, with only 10,000 left from a population of 200,000.Many New Orleans residents have fled, with only 10,000 left from a population of 200,000.
Tens of thousands are also reported to have left coastal Mississippi, Alabama and south-eastern Texas.Tens of thousands are also reported to have left coastal Mississippi, Alabama and south-eastern Texas.
The BBC's Kevin Connolly, who is in New Orleans, says in some streets the storm drains are already beginning to choke through the sheer weight of rain. A sea surge of up to 14ft (4.2m) was feared and water was clearing levees in New Orleans as the outer rim of the storm brought heavy rains and winds.
It is a ghost town - with only traffic lights at an intersection flickering from red to green and back again; there are no cars, our correspondent says. But the head of the unit responsible for the city's flood defences said he was "cautiously optimistic" that the levees would hold.
The NHC said Gustav's winds could bring "extremely dangerous" storm surges of up to 14ft (4.2m) above normal. Isolated tornadoes are also possible in the area.
FLASHBACK TO KATRINA Katrina struck US Gulf Coast in August 2005 as a Category Three storm, killing more than 1,800 peopleNew Orleans was 80% flooded after storm surge breached protective leveesUS Government was blamed for slow, botched response that exacerbated disasterHundreds of thousands of people were displaced Flashback: Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Gustav as it happensIn pictures: Gustav's approachTracking Gustav on the webFLASHBACK TO KATRINA Katrina struck US Gulf Coast in August 2005 as a Category Three storm, killing more than 1,800 peopleNew Orleans was 80% flooded after storm surge breached protective leveesUS Government was blamed for slow, botched response that exacerbated disasterHundreds of thousands of people were displaced Flashback: Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Gustav as it happensIn pictures: Gustav's approachTracking Gustav on the web
The Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, said: "We're still seeing storm surge. There's lots of rain, tornado threats... We are nowhere near out of danger yet."The Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, said: "We're still seeing storm surge. There's lots of rain, tornado threats... We are nowhere near out of danger yet."
The mayor urged people to "resist the temptation to say we're out of the woods", adding that heavy rainfall could still flood the city over the next 24 hours.The mayor urged people to "resist the temptation to say we're out of the woods", adding that heavy rainfall could still flood the city over the next 24 hours.
He told CNN that the city would not know until late afternoon if vulnerable areas would "stay dry".He told CNN that the city would not know until late afternoon if vulnerable areas would "stay dry".
Levees in and around New Orleans were expected to hold, but the storm's surge could partially flood the city, said Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Harvey Johnson. Damage from Gustav "will be a catastrophe by the time you add it all up," said Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Harvey Johnson.
Damage from Gustav "will be a catastrophe by the time you add it all up," he told the Associated Press news agency.
"We don't expect the loss of life, certainly, that we saw in Katrina," he said. "But we are expecting a lot of homes to be damaged, a lot of infrastructure to be flooded, and damaged severely.""We don't expect the loss of life, certainly, that we saw in Katrina," he said. "But we are expecting a lot of homes to be damaged, a lot of infrastructure to be flooded, and damaged severely."
In 2005, three-quarters of New Orleans was flooded by a storm surge that claimed more than 1,800 lives in coastal areas.In 2005, three-quarters of New Orleans was flooded by a storm surge that claimed more than 1,800 lives in coastal areas.
The Category Three storm Katrina swept away the city's levees under a wall of mud and water.The Category Three storm Katrina swept away the city's levees under a wall of mud and water.
Few remainFew remain
In New Orleans, a dusk-to-dawn curfew is in force. The 7,000-strong Louisiana National Guard has been mobilised and support requested from other states. In New Orleans, a dusk-to-dawn curfew is in force; it is a ghost town, with only traffic lights at an intersection flickering from red to green and back again, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly who is on the ground.
href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1220283858/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1220283858/html/1.stm', '1220284061', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=600,height=478,left=312,top=100'); return false;">The storm threatened protective walls as it approached New Orleans href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1220283858/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1220283858/html/1.stm', '1220284061', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=600,height=478,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Image Crime was a major problem in the New Orleans area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the city three years ago, causing disastrous floods. He says in some streets the storm drains are already beginning to choke through the sheer weight of rain.
The Louisiana National Guard has been mobilised and support requested from other states.The storm threatened protective walls as it approached New OrleansEnlarge Image
Crime was a major problem in the New Orleans area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Concern for those facing the hurricane has prompted the Republican party to scale back its national convention where Senator John McCain is due to accept the party's nomination for president at the event in St Paul, Minnesota later this week.Concern for those facing the hurricane has prompted the Republican party to scale back its national convention where Senator John McCain is due to accept the party's nomination for president at the event in St Paul, Minnesota later this week.
Mr McCain told his party that "this was one of those moments in history where you have to put America first. We will not see the mistakes of Katrina repeated".Mr McCain told his party that "this was one of those moments in history where you have to put America first. We will not see the mistakes of Katrina repeated".
There will be no political speeches on the first day of the convention but Laura Bush, the first lady and Cindy McCain, John McCain's wife, will speak about contributing to a relief effort.
Out in the Gulf of Mexico, most oil production has been shut down. Three years ago, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the region's oil infrastructure and sent oil prices soaring.Out in the Gulf of Mexico, most oil production has been shut down. Three years ago, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the region's oil infrastructure and sent oil prices soaring.
Gustav has already claimed the lives of more than 80 people in the Caribbean, causing widespread damage in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica over the past week.
In Cuba, the storm brought extensive flooding and some severe damage, but no reports of deaths.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna has strengthened into a hurricane east of the Bahamas in the Atlantic ocean, US officials reported.Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna has strengthened into a hurricane east of the Bahamas in the Atlantic ocean, US officials reported.
Hanna is on track to skirt Florida before making landfall on Friday in South Carolina, near its state border with Georgia, US weather experts said.Hanna is on track to skirt Florida before making landfall on Friday in South Carolina, near its state border with Georgia, US weather experts said.
Have you been affected by Gustav? Are you preparing for its arrival? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.Have you been affected by Gustav? Are you preparing for its arrival? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.
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