New Orleans levees withstand Gustav, other infrastructure does not
11:17 a.m. Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Hurricane Gustav came ashore 70 miles west of New Orleans.
It was no Katrina, but Gustav still packed a punch. The storm surge swelled the Mississippi River, and while water flowed over the flood walls, no breaches were reported.
A mandatory evacuation order and curfew remain in effect for the city. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said he feels really good about the city's improved levee system.
"Hopefully we will have everything in order, where we can, later on this week, we can have our citizens to start to come to back into the city," he said.
But he did stress that evacuated residents shouldn't return just yet.
"We want the streets clear so that we can clear debris, we can fix power lines, and we can do everything that we need to do before you start to come in," he said.
At least a million people across Louisiana are without power due to damaged or destroyed power lines and poles.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says he's received reports of widespread damage across three parashes: Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary, all near where the eye of the hurricane hit.
"It could take in some areas two weeks or more to get everybody back on line," Jindal said.
And even though the Big Easy got off relatively easy, there is still some serious damage. Residents continue to worry about what may come next.
"If it starts to rain again, the roof might cave in -- that's my biggest concern, the roof," New Orleans resident Perly Mae Curtis said.
Gustav has been downgraded to a tropical storm and could possibly dump up to 20 inches of rain on parts of Texas and Louisiana.
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