New Orleans awaits storm, fears another Katrina

NEW ORLEANS — On the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary, New Orleans residents watched Wednesday as another storm threatened to test the city, and officials made preliminary plans to evacuate people, pets and hospitals in an attempt to avoid Katrina-style chaos.

Forecasters warned that Gustav could grow into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph in the next several days. Current projections have New Orleans in the center of the long-term forecast cone, which is subject to significant error. Landfall is possible late Monday or early Tuesday.

Any damage to New Orleans close to next week's Republican National Convention in Minnesota could serve as a politically tinged reminder of the Bush administration's ineffective response to Katrina.

"I'm panicking," said Evelyn Fuselier, of Chalmette, whose home was submerged in 14 feet of floodwater when Katrina hit. Fuselier said watching Gustav swirl toward the Gulf of Mexico was indescribable. "I keep thinking, 'Did the Corps [of Engineers] fix the levees? Is my house going to flood again? Am I going to have to go through all this again?' "

City officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm. Mayor Ray Nagin planned to leave the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations, as did U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for federal assistance, and put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.

If a Category 3 or stronger hurricane comes within 60 hours of the city, New Orleans plans to institute a mandatory evacuation order. Unlike Katrina, there will be no massive shelter at the Superdome. Instead, the state has arranged for buses and trains to take people to safety.

It was unclear what would happen to stragglers. Jerry Sneed, the city's emergency-preparedness director, said officials are ready to move about 30,000 people. Nearly 8,000 people had signed up for transportation help by Wednesday.

Steve Weaver, 82, and his wife stayed for Katrina and were plucked off their roof by a Coast Guard helicopter. This time, Weaver doesn't want to ride out the storm. "Everybody learned a lesson about staying, so the highways will be twice as packed this time," he said.

Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, and its storm surge blasted through the levees that protect the city. Eighty percent of the city was flooded.

Though pockets of New Orleans are well on the way to recovery, many neighborhoods have struggled to recover. Many people never returned, and the city's population, about 310,000 people, is roughly two-thirds what it was before the storm, but estimates vary.

Since the storm, the Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars to improve the levee system, but because of two quiet hurricane seasons, the flood walls have never been tested. Floodgates have been installed on drainage canals to stop any storm surge from entering the city, and levees have been raised and in many places strengthened with concrete.

Gustav formed Monday and roared ashore Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane near the southern Haitian city of Jacmel with top winds near 90 mph.

The storm triggered flooding and landslides that killed 23 people in the Caribbean. It weakened into a tropical storm and appeared headed for Cuba, though it is likely to grow stronger by drawing energy from warm open water.

But not everyone was worried. There have been many false alarms, and at least some New Orleans residents were exasperated at what they regarded as an overblown threat.

"You would think it's right on us," said Lou Cantero, working on his Katrina-damaged home in the Lower Garden District. "I'm concerned, but I'm not panicking. There are too many scenarios right now."

Still, he added, "if it looks like it's coming this way, I'm gone."

Information from The New York Times and The Miami Herald is included in this report.