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WORLD> America
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New Orleans considers evacuation as Gustav looms
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-28 09:01 But they assume responsibility if they stay, Sneed said. "If a tree comes through the roof and buries them underneath there, they're going to be on their own," Sneed said. Sneed said he was confident that floodgates and pumping stations that failed during the 2005 storms would bear up. "The citizens should not be worried about the flooding again," he said. Storm levees broke under the onslaught of Katrina in 2005, flooding 80 percent of New Orleans and killing almost 1,500 people in the city and along the Gulf coast. The hurricane caused at least $80 billion in wind and flood damage. Some estimates put damages as high as $125 billion. Jindal said he had activated the state's catastrophic action team and could declare a state of emergency as early as Thursday. He also has put the Louisiana National Guard on alert. Jindal, elected in October 2007, is hoping to avoid heavy criticism that fell on his predecessor, Kathleen Blanco, for not reacting swiftly after Katrina. Federal agencies and the New Orleans city government also faced the wrath of residents over their response to the disaster. President George W. Bush himself was severely criticized for his role, including his initial decision to view the devastated city only from the air. After Katrina, chaos broke out in New Orleans as stranded flood victims waited days for help. Many residents who fled the hurricane have not returned. Jindal said that if the threat continues, the state could make 700 buses available for assisted evacuations, which could begin on Friday for people who need help due to medical or other conditions. Amtrak trains were standing by to move 7,000 elderly residents to safety, Sneed said.
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