New Orleans escapes the worst of Katrina

The city was spared the worst of Hurricane Katrina, but it still got hit:

A weakening Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi Monday, but spared New Orleans the devastating direct hit that had been widely feared and that prompted the mandatory evacuation of the city.

Although its wind speed dropped as it made landfall shortly after 7 a.m. EDT, the hurricane still packed enough power to lash the coast with blinding rain, cause flooding and tear away about a third of the roof surface of the Superdome, a 65,000-seat stadium that was turned into a refuge of last resort for nearly 10,000 people who were unable to evacuate.

The worst damage was reported from farther east along the coast of Mississippi, where the storm damaged numerous buildings, flooded streets and heaved boats onto land.

Pacific Northwest Portal continues to provide special coverage of Hurricane Katrina. If you're interested in helping relief efforts, please donate to the Red Cross, which is amassing a volunteer force of half a million people.