Nagin Says Gustav Worse than Katrina; N.O. Ordered Evacuated; RNC Events Cancelled

Posted by AlterNet Staff, AlterNet at 1:13 PM on August 31, 2008.

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Nagin: Gustav Worse Than Katrina

The New York Times reports:

Tens of thousands of residents streamed out of New Orleans on Sunday after heeding orders from officials to evacuate the city — the first mandatory evacuation since Hurricane Katrina flooded the city three years ago — as Hurricane Gustav grew into what the city’s mayor called “a big, ugly storm” and moved toward the Louisiana coast.

The aftermath of Hurricane Gustav in Consolación del Sur, Cuba, on Sunday. The storm lashed the western tip of Cuba on Saturday before heading toward the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin said Hurricane Gustav was larger and more dangerous than Hurricane Katrina, and he pleaded with residents to get out or face flooding and life-threatening winds.

“We should start to see tornado threats starting tonight and in the morning,” he said at a news briefing Sunday morning. “This is still a big, ugly storm. It’s still strong and I strongly encourage everyone to leave.”

RNC Cancels Convention Events

The Republicans can't afford to be seen in those funny hats partying while the Gulf Coast is hit once again. This was just released by the RNC:

The Republican National Convention's entire Monday night program, including an address by President Bush, apparently will be canceled as national attention focuses on Hurricane Gustav, House Minority Leader John Boehner said today.

"It is doubtful that there will be any kind of program tomorrow night" when the four-day convention was scheduled to commence, he told reporters. "The convention is going to be handled on a day-to-day basis."

Boehner, of Ohio, the top Republican in the House, said the convention is concerned about potential victims of the storm, "and the best way we honor that is to help Americans who are in need."

Although this will keep the spotlight from the Republican convention, it's not an entirely bad development for the GOP, which had faced a delicate problem of trying to distance itself from a sitting president whose approval ratings are in the toilet:

Bush and Vice President Cheney today canceled their showcase appearances ... Instead of delivering what was expected to be a political farewell speech of sorts on Monday during the convention's opening night, Bush will meet with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, meet with emergency workers in Austin and San Antonio and then go to Louisiana when conditions permit, according to the White House.

Tagged as: gustav