Hurricane Gustav tests New Orleans levees

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-02-2008 08:24

In the US, Hurricane Gustav slammed into the heart of Louisiana's fishing and oil industry on Monday, packing winds of 177 kilometers per hour. But Gustav faded as it moved inland to the southern US state.

The downtown streets of New Orleans are deserted as  Hurricane Gustav approaches on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Gerald Weaver)

So far Gustav has delivered only a glancing blow to New Orleans that raised hopes the city would escape the kind of catastrophic flooding brought by Katrina three years ago.

Wind-driven water sloshed over the top of the Industrial Canal's floodwall.

But city officials and the Army Corps of Engineers say they expect the levees that are still only partially rebuilt after Katrina, would hold.

General Riley, Deputy Commander US Army Corps of Engineers, said, "There is still a danger clearly because of the wind and the wave wash that is occurring and the tremendous pressure that is against all of the levees and flood walls."

As Gustav approached, nearly two million people left coastal Louisiana on a mandatory evacuation order.

While New Orleans wasn't submerged, there were scores of homes that were damaged.

Several homes had torn roofs in Terrebonne Parish, located in the southeast part of the state.