Ivan finally hits US Gulf Coast
Hurricane Ivan has finally arrived in the US, battering the Gulf Coast and causing mass evacuations in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
The Hurricane was expected to hit the coast as a category three or four storm, with winds of at least 135 miles per hour and torrential rain. A state of emergency has been declared in the four above states, with reports that the storm has already killed two people in Florida.
There are reports of waves up to 25 feet high destroying property, and two million people have been advised to leave the area.
The centre of the storm has been forecast to hit the Alabama city of Mobile, though perhaps the greatest risk is in New Orleans. Much of the city lies below sea level, and the authorities are predicting that large areas will be flooded.
Some forecasters are saying that certain areas of south-eastern America, including the Appalachian Mountains, could get as much as 20 inches of rain in the next couple of days.
Parts of the Caribbean are still mopping up after being devastated by Ivan – and there is more trouble on the way, the BBC reports. Tropical Storm Jeanne is currently threatening Puerto Rico, with large parts of the region an a renewed alert.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
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