  
| 
| ||||||||||||||
Hurricane Katrina hits Category 5
 Satellite image taken at 6:15 a.m. ET shows Hurricane Katrina as it approaches the Gulf Coast. RELATEDHURRICANE KATRINA7:45 a.m. ET Sunday Position of center: 275 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River Latitude: 25.4 north Longitude: 87.4 west Top sustained winds: 160 mph (257 kph) Source: National Hurricane Center SPECIAL REPORT
• Interactive: Safety Tips
• Flash: How hurricanes form
• Gallery: Saffir-Simpson scale
• I-Report: Send us your stories
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSNEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina intensified Sunday to a Category 5 storm as it churned towards the U.S. Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Category 5 is the most intense category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity -- capable of causing catastrophic damage. The storm is expected to make landfall on Monday. Officials fear New Orleans, Louisiana, is vulnerable because it sits an average of 6 feet below sea level. (Watch video of how New Orleans reacted to warning) Mandatory evacuations were in effect for some of Louisiana's low-lying areas; residents in other low-lying areas are being encouraged to leave. Governors of both Louisiana and Mississippi declared emergencies Friday in anticipation of the strengthening storm. "This is a very, very dangerous hurricane," said National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield. "I can't emphasize enough to viewers how serious FEMA is taking this storm," Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said. "We've done a lot of planning for a hurricane striking New Orleans because of New Orleans lying below sea level." Katrina has been blamed for seven deaths in Florida, where it made landfall Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane. As much as 18 inches of rain fell in some areas, flooding streets and homes. (See video of the damage floodwaters left in one family's new house) "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a test. This is the real deal," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said at a news conference. He urged people to remain calm, "board up your homes, make sure you have medicine, make sure your car has enough gas in it," and prepare to leave. Highways leading out of the city had bumper-to-bumper traffic. Several major interstate highways, including 55, 59, 10 and 12, were converted to one-way routes away from New Orleans, the Louisiana Department of Transportation said. The governors urged caution while driving, because a single wreck could tie up traffic for hours. Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the state was recommending evacuations along the coast "and even several counties inland." Mandatory evacuations could follow later, he said. The last time Mississippi or Louisiana was hit by a major hurricane was in 1969, when Camille killed 256 people. Latham said he attends a memorial service for those victims every year and keeps a book about the storm on his desk. The potential for damage and loss of life with Katrina could be even worse, as millions of people have moved to the coast since then, Brown told CNN. He said his office has done all it can "for the citizens of this state to prepare for this type of event." Conditions early SundayAs of 5 a.m. EDT, the center of Katrina was about 275 south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was moving toward the west-northwest at about 10 mph Hurricane warnings were posted from Morgan City, Louisiana, eastward to the Alabama-Florida state line, including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions, including winds of at least 74 mph, are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch from the Alabama-Florida state line eastward to Destin, Florida, and from west of Morgan City to Intracoastal City, Louisiana. Another tropical storm warning was issued Sunday from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, west to Cameron, Louisiana, and from Destin, Florida, eastward to Indian Pass, Florida. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions, including winds of at least 39 mph, are expected within 24 hours. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible, usually within 36 hours. Five to 10 inches of rain, and up to 15 inches in some areas, was forecast for the central Gulf Coast on Sunday evening. Oil rig evacuationsSome oil platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated. Six oil companies operating offshore facilities evacuated a total of at least 150 people. Most of those employees were described as "nonessential" to production, and rigs and platforms continued to operate.(Watch the video of drilling crews securing rigs and seeking safety.) Two companies -- Newfield Exploration and Murphy Exploration -- said they may pull out production workers and shut down some facilities Saturday, depending on the hurricane's path. At least 12 platforms and nine oil rigs in the Gulf have been evacuated, a small portion of the 953 manned rigs and platforms operating there, according to the Interior Department's Mineral Management Service. CNN's David Mattingly, Susan Candiotti, Jacqui Jeras and Rob Marciano contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
|
| ||||||||||||||
| © 2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
 |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
