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Katrina weakens - for now
02/09/2005 13:18 - (SA)
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| BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE: Some of the thousands of displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome, a last-resort shelter, in New Orleans on Sunday night. (Eric Gay, AP) |
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New Orleans, Louisiana - Hurricane Katrina, the rain from which is already lashing New Orleans, was downgraded early on Monday to a category-four storm, but forecasters warned it could strengthen again before it hits the city, a US government weather service reported.
The National Hurricane Centre said the monster storm now packed sustained winds reaching 248km/h, slightly weaker than necessary to qualify for category-five status.
"But Katrina is expected to make landfall as either a category-four or possible a category-five hurricane," the centre warned.
At 07:00 GMT, the eye of the storm was located 113km south of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 209km from New Orleans.
Highways were gridlocked during the night as tens of thousands of people fled New Orleans and other coastal areas.
Because much of the city is below sea level, it is highly prone to flooding.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin fears flood embankments might not withstand the ferocity of the hurricane.
Elderly deaths
Meanwhile Katrina, closing in on the southern US state of Louisiana, claimed its first human casualties early on Monday as three elderly people died following their evacuation from coastal New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
State police spokesperson Markus Smith said the people were "indirect" victims of the storm, which has been downgraded to category four but is still packing a powerful punch.
"It may have been dehydration related," Smith said.
He said Louisiana State Police count natural disaster casualties as direct only when they are killed by falling trees and downed power lines, or die as a result of flooding or storm surges.
The elderly people lived at a nursing home in New Orleans, but were evacuated inland by bus, according to Smith.
He said they died shortly after arriving at Baton Rouge, where they were supposed to stay at a church.
- AFP
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