A downgraded Hurricane Gustav packed with strong winds and heavy rains lashed the Gulf coast on Monday but spared New Orleans, the city which was devastated three years ago by Hurricane Katrina.Fearing a repeat of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster, more than two million people fled their homes from coastal Mississippi, Albama and South-eastern Texas ahead of the storm, which was at one stage forecast to attain highest Category 5 before making the landfall.
Hurricane Gustav churning towards the Gulf Coast of the US nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated that region has not only killed any chance of Louisiana Governor Piyush 'Bobby' Jindal creating history once again, but may end up completely disrupting the Republican National Convention that was scheduled to kick off in Minneapolis-Saint Paul and run through September 4.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, once considered a potential running mate of Republican Presidential nominee John McCain, is in spotlight again as attention is focused on his state's response to Hurricane Gustav, which may make or break his political future.His predecessor Kathleen Blanco was severely criticised for her slow response to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which smashed the Gulf Coast, leading to the flooding of New Orleans three years ago.
Indian-American Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, in spotlight as attention focuses on his state's response to Hurricane Gustav, has said thousands of people who had left their homes following evacuation orders may be able to return in the next few days."People should be able to return home over the next several days. Within 24 hours of telling us they're ready, we can reverse the trains and buses and planes that took them out of harm's way," Jindal said.
While Hurricane Gustav on the country's Gulf Coast was the initial distraction that led to a truncated first day of the Republican National Convention, another storm was brewing over the disclosure that presidential candidate John McCain's running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant.
More than one million people in the US state of Louisiana and neighbouring areas were without power as strong winds and rains produced by a weakened Hurricane Gustav lashed the area, but mostly spared New Orleans, which was devastated three years ago by Katrina.
Jet speed winds and heavy rains from the approaching powerful Hurricane Gustav began lashing the US Gulf coast early Monday, but its fury was greeted mostly by ghost towns.
Republicans convened their national convention in St Paul, Minnesota on a subdued note focussing much of their attention on how best they could rally forces to the beleaguered folks of Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Gustav.
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