Katrina Death Toll Climbs to 60 People; New Orleans Is Flooded
Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide: "Aug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, killing dozens of people, cutting off power to 2 million and leaving most of New Orleans flooded by water as deep as 20 feet. U.S. and state officials say it may be the nation's worst natural disaster.
Katrina slammed ashore in Mississippi at daybreak yesterday with winds as high as 140 mph (225 kph), causing flooding in four states. Coastal towns and cities were underwater and crews were working to rescue people who tried to escape the rising waters by heading to attics and roofs.
``The damage is catastrophic and widespread,'' Jim Pollard, spokesman in Harrison County for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said today in a cell phone interview from Gulfport. ``There's virtually not a building here in Gulfport that's not substantially damaged.''
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour put the death toll as high as 80 in Harrison County, in an interview on NBC's ``Today'' show.
The center of Katrina -- now a tropical depression with winds of about 35 mph -- is forecast to sweep through Kentucky and Ohio today. It will head through parts of upstate New York, New England and Canada by Sept. 2.
President George W. Bush declared parts of Mississippi and Alabama major disaster areas, freeing up federal disaster aid. He plans to return to Washington tomorrow because of the hurricane, cutting short a vacation at his Texas ranch, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The president may visit the affected areas by the end of the week, McClellan said.
``Right now our priorities are on saving lives and we are still in the midst of search and rescue efforts,'' Bush said in a speech to military personnel today at the North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego. ``We have got a lot of work to do.''"
Katrina slammed ashore in Mississippi at daybreak yesterday with winds as high as 140 mph (225 kph), causing flooding in four states. Coastal towns and cities were underwater and crews were working to rescue people who tried to escape the rising waters by heading to attics and roofs.
``The damage is catastrophic and widespread,'' Jim Pollard, spokesman in Harrison County for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said today in a cell phone interview from Gulfport. ``There's virtually not a building here in Gulfport that's not substantially damaged.''
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour put the death toll as high as 80 in Harrison County, in an interview on NBC's ``Today'' show.
The center of Katrina -- now a tropical depression with winds of about 35 mph -- is forecast to sweep through Kentucky and Ohio today. It will head through parts of upstate New York, New England and Canada by Sept. 2.
President George W. Bush declared parts of Mississippi and Alabama major disaster areas, freeing up federal disaster aid. He plans to return to Washington tomorrow because of the hurricane, cutting short a vacation at his Texas ranch, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. The president may visit the affected areas by the end of the week, McClellan said.
``Right now our priorities are on saving lives and we are still in the midst of search and rescue efforts,'' Bush said in a speech to military personnel today at the North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego. ``We have got a lot of work to do.''"
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