Hurricane Katrina edges to east

Hurricane Katrina edged slightly to the east today as it bore down on America’s Gulf Coast, providing some hope that the worst of the storm’s 150 mph winds might not directly strike low-lying New Orleans.

Katrina, which weakened slightly overnight to a strong Category Four storm, turned slightly eastward as it closed in on land, which would put the western eyewall – the weaker side of the strongest winds – over New Orleans.

“It’s not as bad as the eastern side. It’ll be plenty bad enough,” said Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

Sustained winds of 53mph with gusts up to 91mph were already reported at Grande Isle, Louisiana, and gusts up to 71mph were reported in New Orleans.

A Category Four is capable of causing extreme damage while a Category Five can cause catastrophic damage.

Earlier, Mayor Ray Nagin said he believed 80% of the city’s 480,000 residents had heeded an unprecedented mandatory evacuation as Katrina threatened to become the most powerful storm ever to hit the city.

Crude oil futures jumped to more than $70 a barrel in Singapore for the first time today as Katrina targeted an area crucial to the US energy infrastructure.

The storm already forced the shutdown of an estimated one million barrels of refining capacity.