a hurricane at pat o's

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THATTHE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 175 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATRINA IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.

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new orleans is one of my favorite cities anywhere.. unfortunately, hurricane katrina looks to be headed right for the crescent city -- which means big trouble for the big easy. if you've never been, the city is all under sea level and is kept dry by a levee and canal system that protects and 'drains' the city. if this storm hits at it's current strength (175 mpg winds) there are estimates of up to a 30 foot storm surge.. which would swamp the city (literally) by cresting the tops of the levee system. there is the real possibility of over 20 feet of standing water in new orleans - with no where to drain. all of that water would have to be pumped out, since the city is under sea level. (think of a bowl, protected by levee's surrounded by the mississippi and lake pontchartrain) there would be standing water in new orleans proper for, what could be, weeks on end. every drop of water that comes in to new orleans must be pumped out. exacerbating the problem is that over 100,000 people in new orleans don't have their own transportation.. so they're stuck. this could be pretty ugly unless this thing loses some power or veers off course.. which is too bad.. i love my new orleans... love it lots.