Even while the order for Monroe County, FL has been rescinded, Ivan's path has the Crescent City worried.
Saying it would take "the perfect scenario" for powerful storm Hurricane Ivan to bypass New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin called for all citizens that can to seek higher ground and make their plans very soon.The school systems and colleges in all the parishes around New Orleans are closed beginning tomorrow. As of this evening, southbound Interstate 55 from I-12 down to I-10 in LaPlace is closed to facilitate northbound evacuation traffic from St. Tammany Parish west of the city of New Orleans. Posted by mhking at September 13, 2004 10:32 PM"This is now scheduled to bypass New Orleans but it has to curve around a high (pressure system) and that system has to collapse," he said. "I am not confident that will happen."
Nagin is asking for preparations to begin now because he said the normal 72-hour lead time will not be available to New Orleanians this time around.
"This storm will not allow us that window."