New orleans levees hold as hurricane gustav
Hurricane Gustav slammed ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast just west of New Orleans on Monday but rebuilt levees appeared to hold floodwaters out of the city devastated by Katrina in 2005.
Gustav weakened before hitting land with 110 mph (177 kph) winds, easing fears it would be another Katrina, whose floodwaters burst protective levees, swamping 80 percent of New Orleans and stranding thousands of people.
Gustav’s powerful storm surge pushed tons of water into the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans canals, putting pressure on barriers that were repaired or reconstructed after failing three years ago and prompting a tense watch for signs it would happen again.
Water flowed over flood walls and spurted through cracks in the vulnerable barrier system. Six inches of water pooled in some streets near the New Orleans Industrial Canal and officials cautioned that while the levees had not been breached, they were still in danger.
But some residents emerged from boarded up homes relieved to find only broken tree branches and toppled signs.
“We’ll still get some nasty weather but we’ve dodged a big-time bullet with this one,” said stockbroker Peter Labouisse, sitting on the porch of his home, which was shuttered and without power.
About 750,000 customers were without electricity and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it could take more than two weeks to restore power to everyone.
The storm roared through the heart of the U.S. Gulf oil patch but oil and natural gas prices plunged as Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane before landfall, easing fears of serious supply disruptions.
