Katrina -- Hell On Earth

Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast like a ton of bricks, wreaking havoc and widespread flooding and destruction from New Orleans to Pensacola, FL with direct hits on Slidell, LA; Gulfport; MS, Biloxi, MS; and Mobile, AL.

Making landfall about 7 a.m., (downgraded from category 5 to 4, then 3) she hooked to the northeast, her eye squeaking by a direct hit on New Orleans. But there was plenty of destruction and flooding in New Orleans where the roof of the Super Dome was ripped off and the metro area experienced "total structure failure".

"Hell on Earth" and "complete devastation" in Gulfport, MS.

More info from Michelle Malkin here and here.

More here.

Mississippi was subjected to both Katrina's harshest winds and highest recorded storm surges -- 22 feet.

Gulf Coast petroleum output disrupted, energy markets rattled. Royal Dutch Shell PLC said on its Web site that two of its drilling rigs equipped with tracking devices had "drifted off location."

-- LynZee
Related: Echoes Of Camille