Dire Words
 

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Faced with a nightmare scenario of floodwaters that could drown this below-sea-level city, thousands of evacuees jammed highways Tuesday in an agonizingly slow escape from 140-mph Hurricane Ivan as it bore down on four Gulf Coast states.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic flowed out of this city of 1.5 million amid a state of emergency and dire warnings that an Ivan-sized storm could could essentially overflow Lake Pontchartrain, overwhelming this saucer-shaped city with up to 20 feet of water.

Forecasters say Ivan, a killer blamed for at least 68 deaths in the Caribbean, could strengthen back to Category 5, 160-mph power by the time the massive storm makes landfall as early as Thursday.

With hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph across an area nearly 200 miles wide, it threatened significant damage no matter where it strikes. That prompted officials to order or strongly urge people to flee in a danger zone stretching from Morgan City and New Orleans in Louisiana to St. Marks in the Florida Panhandle.

"I beg people on the coast: Do not ride this storm out," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said, urging people in other parts of the state to open their homes to relatives, friends and co-workers.

New Orleans, the nation's largest city below sea level, also may be its most vulnerable in a hurricane, and Mayor Ray Nagin was among the first to urge residents to get out while they can. The city's Louis Armstrong Airport was ordered closed Tuesday night.

Up to 10 feet below sea level in spots, it sits between the nearly half-mile-wide Mississippi River and the Rhode Island-sized Pontchartrain, relying on a system of levees, canals and huge pumps to keep dry.

The city hasn't taken a major direct hit since Betsy in 1965, when an 8- to 10-foot storm surge submerged some parts of the city in 7 feet of water.

But experts say Ivan could be worse, sending water pouring over the levees, flooding to the rooftops and turning streets into a toxic mixing bowl of raw sewage, gas and chemicals from nearby refineries.

By midday Tuesday, Interstate 10, the major hurricane route out of New Orleans, was bumper-to-bumper, and state police turned the interstate west of the city into a one-way artery out. U.S. Highway 59, the old major route between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, also was jammed.

OMG, that's terrible.. LA people GET OUT!!

Link ? Would like to send it to a friend.

I think there is a little hype going on.

It is a zoo in New Orleans - the walgreens downtown is sold out of everything - food, water, batteries, candles, etc....

Just boarded up HiRise office, and topped off the diesel tanks for the generator at InterCosmos.

im in baton rouge, and its taken me sooooo fucking long to get anywhere today, both interstates, and all major roads are fucking packed down here

i had to eat ramen noodles because i cant get to mcdonalds

mmmmmm, you really think its hype? I wouldn't want to be anywhere near this one.

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA...OAT/VIS/20.jpg

all my prayers are with the people whose lives are about to change drastically :(

The models I've seen say it's to take a turn to the northeast in the next 24, but that will still affect New Orleans, considering how big this storm is. Y'all get the hell outta there.

The outer bands are all the way over in South Florida right now. That's how big this one is.

New Orleans has to worry about the storm surge. Water is what can really fuck up the city, not so much the wind.

were you not here for andrew?

Just got my new update.

It's expected to remain constant for the next 24 before turning just slightly to the northeast. New Orleans is expected to receive a dire hit.

Folks, this is ugly. This storm is huge, and will be catastrophic if it remains a cat.4 or escalates to a cat.5

Tennessee is expected to receive the remnants sometime Saturday, and if it continues to remain constant or grows again to a cat.5, we'll be feeling some nasty winds in excess of cat.1 (85 mph) strength.

I don't think this is hype. I think I'd be getting the hell out of Dodge.

I am not saying the hurricane won't hit us in New Orleans - I am saying 20 feet of water in New Orleans maybe be a little hype.

Up until last year, I have lived in New Orleas my entire life.

If I did not have the safety of the datacenter to retret to, I would not be staying.

Mike,

I showed Mona this post... she said:

A. You're crazy!

B. Take care of yourself.

run for your lifffffe :glugglug

time to buy property there!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be thinking about you and worrying until I hear that you're safe and sound. Please take care. :(

the Hip saw this one coming: "New Orleans is sinking man, and I don't wanna swim"

Every update keeps pushing it a little farther west. It looks like it's gonna be Bama that will be ground zero right now. The pressure isn't dropping either.

Look at the size of that bastard !!

Everyone who is staying is crazy. I would get the hell out of dodge if I were you.

Just FYI, my favorite vacation spot (negrill, jamaica) suffered the most significant damage from water coming over the cliffs and swamping everything. Those cliffs are 30 feet high. For those of you who've been to negrill, that's the place where you take the catamarans over and people do the cliff diving ... I forget the name of the bar up on top.

Anyways, don't doubt that the storm surge could be enormous. Chances are louisiana will be to the left of the eye and therefore hopefully less surge as a result, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

So it takes an emergency to bring Mona out! :winkwink: Big hugs and kisses to both of you!!

My son in Biloxi just sent me an SMS that they are going to be staying in the dorms tonight, but shelters (classrooms w/ no windows) starting tomorrow. :(

Hey Peaches,

Yep - that's about right. We continue to fly under the radar, work, say something every now and then.

We'll be thinking about your son, we're sure everything will be fine.

As far as the hugs and kisses go , back 'atcha, always.

:)