Heavy flooding blocked many of the roadways in and around New Orleans. A storm surge of 20 feet was recorded in Mississippi, but there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.
A New Orleans resident rushed through flooded streets to the safety of the city's Superdome after the roof of his house was blown off Monday morning. Hurricane Katrina made landfall around 6:10 a.m. CDT east of the city, which had been largely evacuated.
bout 9,000 New Orleans residents unable or unwilling to evacuate the city took cover from the storm at the Superdome, normally home to the NFL's New Orleans Saints. Power in the stadium went out around 5 a.m., but generators kicked in.
The Superdome's recognizable roof was showing wear and tear by midmorning. Normally, the white covering seen at right stretches across the full top. A few pieces of metal from the roof sheared off, leaving two holes that were visible from the floor. But state officials said the breaches wouldn't cause the roof to fail.
The waters of Lake Pontchartrain surged over a road in Lacombe, La., as Hurricane Katrina moved ashore about 100 miles away. Rising lake waters are a serious concern for people in New Orleans and other low-lying towns and cities in southeastern Louisiana.
Members of the National Guard handed out ready-to-eat meals to displaced residents at the Superdome around midnight.