Hundreds of workers from power companies repair the lines falls
More than one and a half million people were left without light
The authorities checked the damage that are lower than expected
New Orleans, September 2 .- The city of New Orleans and southern Louisiana in the U.S. today are still in a state of emergency by the impact of Hurricane Gustav, "but were relieved to see that the damage was less than feared.
The levees of New Orleans endured the brunt of the hurricane winds and storm surges thanks to the "Gustav" followed a different path to "Katrina" and by improving the infrastructure of the city.
Hundreds of employees of utilities in Louisiana and neighbouring states were thrown into the streets today to fix the sooner the lines falls that have left over one and a half million people without electricity.
Both the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, insisted that the danger has not passed and recommended that people evacuated will not return until Thursday, at least.
Jindal referred to the situation seriously ill in various hospitals in southern Louisiana who have problems with electricity generators, so the authorities could be forced to evacuate hundreds of patients.
The lack of supply of gasoline may be another serious problem, according to the governor, as refineries located in the state have fuel for three days, so it asked the U.S. Department of Energy to facilitate the supply of oil reserves the country.
The platforms of extracting oil and natural gas from Gulf of Mexico and oil refineries across the region have not been very damaged and as a result oil prices fell today in all markets.
On the most significant damage, Jindal cited the towns of Terrebonne, Lafourche and St.. Mary who received the direct impact of Hurricane Gustav. "
For the two million evacuees who moved to hotels, shelters, churches and homes of friends and family, pending passes under rains and winds.
Most evacuees spent the night without electricity, no television and no phones, and they left off conventional telephony services and most cell phone networks stopped working.
The exchange of the few news was coming through text messages exchanged among adolescents everywhere.
In a hotel near Route 55, 100 miles north of New Orleans, management housed in 170 rooms to 278 people, 34 dogs, five cats and two parrots, which could serve beans and meat guisada at noon.
However, the evening meal was reduced to mashed potatoes and hamburgers on the grill, that were not enough for everyone who came up trucks with portable kitchens Salvation Army.
"There is damage throughout the city and the main task today is the relief of victims and assessment of cleaning and repair," said the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin.
"There are trees and downed electricity poles throughout the city," he added. "The sewerage system that requires the use of bombs extraction does not work completely and in hospitals is the only core staff essence", elaborated.
Nagin was satisfied by the response of the city and, above all, that finally "Gustav" was neither "Storm of the Century", or "mother of all storms" as he himself said on Saturday, when urged to population to leave the city.
"There should be called a 'Gustav' policy as the mother or the ugly sister of all storms," Nagin said in tone and joke with a face more relaxed after verifying that the effect of the cyclone has been much less than feared.
The authorities of the municipality indicated that Jefferson feared flooding in the area of the West Bank did not occur thanks in part to the gangs of soldiers and volunteers who strive under the first rains to reinforce dykes and embankments some threat.
Throughout the region, authorities postponed the start of school activities, but the rapid recovery that they expect to replenish the areas affected by the storm "Gustav" has allowed convene for students and teachers for next Monday.
The death toll rises to eight in southern Louisiana, four of them were patients in critical condition who died when they were evacuated from hospitals in New Orleans.
The others died in separate incidents by falling trees and traffic accidents.
In its passage through Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica, Hurricane "Gustav" caused 96 deaths and major economic damage in those three countries and in Cuba, where there were no fatalities.
In an initial estimate of damage was estimated that "Gustav" will have an economic impact of 10 billion dollars, according to insurance companies. (With information from Reuters / MVC)
The levees of New Orleans endured the brunt of the hurricane winds and storm surges thanks to the "Gustav" followed a different path to "Katrina" and by improving the infrastructure of the city.
Hundreds of employees of utilities in Louisiana and neighbouring states were thrown into the streets today to fix the sooner the lines falls that have left over one and a half million people without electricity.
Both the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, insisted that the danger has not passed and recommended that people evacuated will not return until Thursday, at least.
Jindal referred to the situation seriously ill in various hospitals in southern Louisiana who have problems with electricity generators, so the authorities could be forced to evacuate hundreds of patients.
The lack of supply of gasoline may be another serious problem, according to the governor, as refineries located in the state have fuel for three days, so it asked the U.S. Department of Energy to facilitate the supply of oil reserves the country.
The platforms of extracting oil and natural gas from Gulf of Mexico and oil refineries across the region have not been very damaged and as a result oil prices fell today in all markets.
On the most significant damage, Jindal cited the towns of Terrebonne, Lafourche and St.. Mary who received the direct impact of Hurricane Gustav. "
For the two million evacuees who moved to hotels, shelters, churches and homes of friends and family, pending passes under rains and winds.
Most evacuees spent the night without electricity, no television and no phones, and they left off conventional telephony services and most cell phone networks stopped working.
The exchange of the few news was coming through text messages exchanged among adolescents everywhere.
In a hotel near Route 55, 100 miles north of New Orleans, management housed in 170 rooms to 278 people, 34 dogs, five cats and two parrots, which could serve beans and meat guisada at noon.
However, the evening meal was reduced to mashed potatoes and hamburgers on the grill, that were not enough for everyone who came up trucks with portable kitchens Salvation Army.
"There is damage throughout the city and the main task today is the relief of victims and assessment of cleaning and repair," said the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin.
"There are trees and downed electricity poles throughout the city," he added. "The sewerage system that requires the use of bombs extraction does not work completely and in hospitals is the only core staff essence", elaborated.
Nagin was satisfied by the response of the city and, above all, that finally "Gustav" was neither "Storm of the Century", or "mother of all storms" as he himself said on Saturday, when urged to population to leave the city.
"There should be called a 'Gustav' policy as the mother or the ugly sister of all storms," Nagin said in tone and joke with a face more relaxed after verifying that the effect of the cyclone has been much less than feared.
The authorities of the municipality indicated that Jefferson feared flooding in the area of the West Bank did not occur thanks in part to the gangs of soldiers and volunteers who strive under the first rains to reinforce dykes and embankments some threat.
Throughout the region, authorities postponed the start of school activities, but the rapid recovery that they expect to replenish the areas affected by the storm "Gustav" has allowed convene for students and teachers for next Monday.
The death toll rises to eight in southern Louisiana, four of them were patients in critical condition who died when they were evacuated from hospitals in New Orleans.
The others died in separate incidents by falling trees and traffic accidents.
In its passage through Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica, Hurricane "Gustav" caused 96 deaths and major economic damage in those three countries and in Cuba, where there were no fatalities.
In an initial estimate of damage was estimated that "Gustav" will have an economic impact of 10 billion dollars, according to insurance companies. (With information from Reuters / MVC)
