New Orleans a 'war zone'
From correspondents in New Orleans|

SHATTERED glass, fallen brick walls, smashed up cars and trees ripped up by their roots littered the storied French Quarter of New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina tore through.

The intimate maze of narrow streets, quaint houses and bars, normally filled with the aroma of Creole cuisine, snatched notes of jazz and tourists from the world over, looked like a war zone. Winds howled and rain sheeted down as tentative residents braved the elements to assess damage to buildings, usually a cacophony of music and revelry, but now boarded up and left empty to face Katrina's wrath. They discovered a neighborhood ravaged, but not wrecked although a massive cleanup will be needed before revellers once again flock to its bars and clubs. On historic Bourbon Street, Christy Juan, 20 and roommate Amanda Jackson, 22, took pictures with a cellphone, in streets darkened by power cuts.

"Yes! Got another one," Christy said, as she ran up to her friend with a downed "No Parking" sign. Pools of water and broken glass marred streets which fill with revelers for the annual Mardi Gras celebrations. One building had partially collapsed, crushing a white car, which had its windows smashed and was filled with bricks. Colorful Mardi Gras beads ripped off the outside of buildings peppered the streets.

Scores of historic houses, with their trademark ironwork balconies, appeared to have suffered structural damage, and famed Canal Street was still like a wind tunnel Monday afternoon, long after the storm's worst had passed. Palm trees lay across streetcar tracks, light standards were smashed and mixed in among the branches of fallen trees.

"Yes! Got another one," Christy said, as she ran up to her friend with a downed "No Parking" sign. Pools of water and broken glass marred streets which fill with revelers for the annual Mardi Gras celebrations. One building had partially collapsed, crushing a white car, which had its windows smashed and was filled with bricks. Colorful Mardi Gras beads ripped off the outside of buildings peppered the streets.

Scores of historic houses, with their trademark ironwork balconies, appeared to have suffered structural damage, and famed Canal Street was still like a wind tunnel Monday afternoon, long after the storm's worst had passed. Palm trees lay across streetcar tracks, light standards were smashed and mixed in among the branches of fallen trees.

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said about 80% of the city was under water. He told a local TV station several "bodies are floating in the water". "I don't have any good news to really share," he said. "The city of New Orleans is in a state of devastation."

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Rescuers worked through the night to reach hundreds of people stranded after Hurricane Katrina ripped across the Gulf Coast killing dozens of people, destroying countless homes and leaving more than a million people without power in three states.

Extract from the Australian, CNN and BBC News. Pics from BBC News and CNN

Nou sympatiz avek  ban kamarad Kreol dan New Orleans ek Lousiana; nou espere ki zot “sain et sauf”. Nou va prie pou zot.

May our Creole cousins of New Orleans and Louisiana know that our thoughts have been all they way with them throughout the hurricane. We pray that you are all safe and well, especially Sybil, Mary, Bev and Paul Llorrens and the Metoyers.