Hurricane Gustav Targets Louisiana

Tropical Cyclone to Hit New Orleans, 3 Years After Katrina

Aug 31, 2008

A mere three years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the city is faced with yet another disaster as Hurricane Gustav closes in on Louisiana.

The morning of 1st September 2008 could be yet another dark day in the history of New Orleans, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say that Hurricane Gustav could hit America as early as 7 a.m. BST on Monday morning.

Hurricane Gustav in the Caribbean

On the afternoon of 25th August a tropical depression began to develop around 260 miles southeast of Haiti. After which the storm went from strength to strength, reaching wind speeds of approximately 90 mph on the morning of the following day. Having been upgraded to a hurricane, Gustav created a serious problem as it headed directly for the Caribbean archipelago.

On 26th August Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Haiti, causing landslides further inland due to the ferocious rains that the hurricane brought with it. As a result a total of 66 deaths have been blamed on the storm, while another 22 were injured and countless thousands have been displaced from their homes.

While Haiti was one of the first countries, along with the Dominican Republic, to be hit by the tropical cyclone, it was Cuba that was worst hit by Gustav. Cuban authorities are claiming that the storm that hit land last night is the worst storm to strike the country in no less than 50 years. The 120 mph winds of the category three hurricane ripped its way through the Caribbean island, blowing roofs off houses and flooding many of the country's roads. However, it is believed that nobody in Cuba died as a result of the hurricane.

Hurricane Gustav to Hit New Orleans

After wreaking havoc in the West Indies, Hurricane Gustav has its sights firmly set on southern America. Rather disturbingly, just three years after having to endure one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s history, New Orleans is bracing itself yet again for disaster.

As a result, the residents of “The Big Easy” are fleeing for their lives after the mayor of New Orleans ordered habitants to evacuate the city. They are escaping because of fears that the hurricane could be upgraded to a category four storm by the time it makes landfall in America, bringing with it a relentless 150 mph wind.

Hurricane Katrina Hits New Orleans in 2005

For many people living in New Orleans, the imminent strike of Hurricane Gustav will probably seem like they are reliving their worst nightmare. On 29th August 2005 the horrifying Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. In the process, numerous levees in the state of Louisiana were breached causing widespread flooding throughout southern America. New Orleans however, bore the brunt of the storm that left around 80% of the city under water. Therefore leaving those who had chosen to stay in the city stranded and in desperate need of help.

It is the effects of Katrina that make this new threat so fearsome. Many of the levees that were damaged three years ago have yet to be fully repaired. Added to this is the fact that much of New Orleans lies below sea level, meaning that the city faces a nervous 24 hours as New Orleans could once again be hell on earth.

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