New Orleans evacuated as hurricane bears down

AN immediate evacuation for all of New Orleans was ordered last night as Hurricane Katrina bore down with wind revving up to nearly 175mph and threats of a massive storm surge.

Acknowledging that large numbers of people, many of them stranded tourists, would be unable to leave before the eye of the storm strikes land sometime this morning, the city set up 10 places of last resort including the Superdome.

“This is a once in a lifetime event,” Mayor Ray Nagin said. “The city of New Orleans has never seen a hurricane of this magnitude hit it directly.”