New Orleans Mayor Orders: 'Get Out of Town'

(NEWSER) - Gustav grew into a fierce Category 4 hurricane and slammed into Cuba this afternoon as the nation scrambled to evacuate its most populated areas, the AP reports. The storm, which had been upgraded to a Category 3 just hours earlier, now has 145mph winds and remains on path to hit the Gulf Coast on Monday. In New Orleans, lines at bus stations are growing, and highway traffic is thick. The city hasn't ordered a mandatory evacuation, but it's helping the elderly and most vulnerable get out. More»

But blackouts and shortages await returning evacuees

(NEWSER) - All Hurricane Gustav evacuees are being allowed back into New Orleans after Mayor Ray Nagin abandoned a more drawn-out reentry plan, the Washington Post reports. Those returning had trouble locating supplies, and officials warned power outages would add to difficulties. "We'd like to say welcome back, but it's not the way we'd like to do it," one local official said. More»

Gustav prep was 'responsibility avoidance': Furedi

(NEWSER) - The way media and the state reacted to Gustav wasn't responsible behavior, but rather "responsibility avoidance ... motivated by a desire to avoid blame," Frank Furedi writes in Spiked. He says official overreaction diminishes a sense of community and individual resilience, rendering people passive to the whims of politicians who tell them, “You need to be scared,” and “Get your butts moving out of New Orleans right now.” More»

Other Louisiana parishes allowing residents back today

(NEWSER) - People are returning to their southern Louisiana homes in the wake of a weaker-than-expected Hurricane Gustav, but New Orleans residents will need to wait until one minute before midnight, reports the Times-Picayune, running on an emergency generator. Mayor Ray Nagin warned the city is still "vulnerable" due to lack of power and medical personnel, but is allowing residents back in. More»

(NEWSER) - Six inches of water from Hurricane Gustav is flooding the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans, but the Army Corps of Engineers says the situation is not a major danger, the Times-Picayune reports. The Lower Ninth Ward’s levees, which were reinforced after Hurricane Katrina, have not given way. "There are no breaches," said a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin. More»