To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (192201 ) 7/21/2006 1:08:49 AM From: KLP Read Replies (1) | Respond to Laz, you asked: Were those areas as badly hit? I had the impression that the breaking of the dikes in NO and consequent flooding were much more damaging than occurred elsewhere. Having little knowledge in this area, I WILL have to bow to superior authority. However, documentation certainly should be provided. en.wikipedia.org The storm surge caused major or catastrophic damage along the coastlines of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, including the cities of Mobile (Alabama), Biloxi and Gulfport (Mississippi), and Slidell (Louisiana). Levees separating Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne from New Orleans were breached by the surge, ultimately flooding roughly 80% of the city and many areas of neighboring parishes. Severe wind damage was reported well inland. Mandatory evacuations were issued for large areas of southeast Louisiana as well as coastal Mississippi and Alabama. About 1.2 million residents of the Gulf Coast were covered under some sort of evacuation order.[1] the state of Mississippi activated its National Guard in preparation of the storm's landfall. Additionally, the state government activated its Emergency Operations Center the next day, and local governments began issuing evacuation orders. By 7:00 p.m. EDT on August 28, 11 counties and eleven cities issued evacuation orders, a number which increased to 41 counties and 61 cities by the following morning. Moreover, 57 emergency shelters were established on coastal communities, with 31 additional shelters available to open if needs warranted.[6]The Louisiana State Evacuation Plan left the means of evacuation up to individual citizens, parish governments, and private caretakers; however, many private care-taking facilities who relied on the same bus companies and ambulance services for evacuation were unable to evacuate their charges. Fuel and rental cars were in short supply and many forms of public transportation had been shut down well before the storm arrived.[7] Some estimates claimed that 80% of the 1.3 million residents of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area evacuated, leaving behind substantially fewer people than remained in the city during the Hurricane Ivan evacuation.[8] central Mississippi. [1]
