Time is running out for New Orleans residents to flee the approach of deadly Hurricane Gustav, which is tipped to gain power before slamming into the US coast.
Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered the compulsory evacuation of the city to begin at 8am local time (2pm BST) as the “storm of the century" churns around in the Gulf of Mexico.
It is almost three years to the day since Hurricane Katrina swept through the birthplace of jazz, killing hundreds and exposing deep poverty and lack of preparation.
Fox correspondent Marianne Silber said billions of dollars of repair work has been left undone and authorities are worried about the damage Gustav could do.
“The forecasters are saying this is going to be worse than anything they have ever seen and they absolutely do not want people taking chances," she said.
Highways around New Orleans are jammed and hundreds of people having been lining up to board buses as authorities urge residents to get out before the storm gets any closer.
Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered the compulsory evacuation of the city to begin at 8am local time (2pm BST) as the “storm of the century" churns around in the Gulf of Mexico.
It is almost three years to the day since Hurricane Katrina swept through the birthplace of jazz, killing hundreds and exposing deep poverty and lack of preparation.
Fox correspondent Marianne Silber said billions of dollars of repair work has been left undone and authorities are worried about the damage Gustav could do.
“The forecasters are saying this is going to be worse than anything they have ever seen and they absolutely do not want people taking chances," she said.
Highways around New Orleans are jammed and hundreds of people having been lining up to board buses as authorities urge residents to get out before the storm gets any closer.
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