Monster storm threatens southern US

Hurricane Katrina strengthened to a Category 5 today with 160-mph sustained winds as US residents of south Louisiana jammed highways in a rush to get out of the way of the powerful storm.

The National Hurricane Centre put out a special advisory on the hurricane’s gain in strength just before 8am EDT (12.00 Irish Time).

The boost came just hours after Katrina reached Category 4, with wind of 145 mph , as it gathered energy from the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico.

A Category 5 hurricane – the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale – is capable of causing catastrophic damage. Only three Category 5 storms have hit the US since record-keeping began.

Officials worried that not enough people were taking the monster storm seriously enough.

“People need to take this very seriously and get to a safe area while they can,” State Police Sgt. Frank Coates before the new advisory was issued.

Katrina was expected to hit the Gulf Coast early Monday and a hurricane warning was in effect from Morgan City to the Alabama-Florida line.