As hurricane Andrew headed west along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, government officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas yesterday urged 4.2bn people to evacuate coastal areas. The likeliest landfall is to the west of New Orleans, a city particularly vulnerable to flooding since it lies below sea level, has the Mississippi River running through it, and has a large lake immediately to its north. In Florida, Andrew hit hardest 10-15 miles south of Miami, leveling the town of Homestead and a nearby air force base. It was estimated today that damage from Andrew could reach $20 billion.
As hurricane Andrew headed west along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, government officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas yesterday urged more than two million people to evacuate coastal areas. The likeliest landfall is to the west of New Orleans, a city particularly vulnerable to flooding since it lies below sea level, has the Mississippi River running through it, and has a large lake immediately to its north. In Florida, Andrew hit hardest 10-15 miles south of Miami, leveling the town of Homestead and a nearby air force base. It was estimated today that damage from Andrew could reach $20 billion.