New Orleans Mayors Warns of 'Storm of the Century'

        Unlike most of his neighbors, New Orleans resident Larry Denny isn't worried enough about Hurricane Gustav to leave.

         Never mind that his house flooded during Hurricane Katrina, the stress cracks in his roof have yet to be fixed and he and his wife felt it was necessary to get two guard dogs and an armory of weapons to ward off looters that roamed their street back in 2005.

         Denny says that there is "no way" he and his wife Charlotte will evacuate New Orleans.
"Why do we stay?" asked Denny, who was raised in Louisiana and returned to New Orleans 15 years ago to settle in Orleans Parish, just north of the French Quarter. "Because we know the government won't protect our house, so we have to."

        As of early Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported that Gustav had weakened slightly overnight from a Category 4 hurricane to a Category 3, and had sustained wins of 120 mph. The hurricane is predicted to regain strength as it moves north Sunday.
"I won't be coming back to a shell," said Denny, who added that just like he rode out Katrina he'll do it again for Gustav, which is predicted to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast on Monday at its current clip of 16 mph.

          In a press conference Saturday evening, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had strong words for his citizens who might be too stubborn to evacuate despite warnings and, as of early Sunday morning, mandatory evacuation orders.
"This is going to be the storm of the century," said Nagin, admitting that while he's usually "very calm," this time is different.
"You need to be scared," said Nagin. "This is the mother of all storms, and I'm not sure we've seen anything like this."

        In the surrounding states, evacuations are also under way. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley declared a mandatory evacuation for much of the state, and areas of Mississippi and Texas were also preparing to move people north in anticipation of the storm.

        Contraflow is in effect in both Louisiana and Mississippi to help last-minute stragglers drive north.

         According to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's office, the state was preparing to house the overflow of Louisianans as they head north. Perry estimates that as many as 45,000 evacuees may seek shelter in Texas, many of whom the state plans to fly to northern cities such as San Antonio and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Mayor, Residents Doubt Readiness of City, Levees

          As the National Hurricane Center predicts Gustav will bring water surges between 18 and 25 feet, Nagin did not hesitate to cast doubt in the mind of citizens who might think the city's levees, which have been under construction since they failed during Katrina, would ward off the hurricane.

         According to Nagin, the levees simply won't be tall enough.
"This is the real deal," said Nagin. "The levees [in the city of New Orleans] are probably 8 to 10 feet high."


By EMILY FRIEDMAN
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 31, 2008
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5694076&page=1