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Dozens dead as Katrina rips through US
More than 50 people have died and thousands left homeless after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the southern US states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Winds of up to 170 mph battered the Gulf Coast region with the Mississippi resort towns of Biloxi and Gulfport bearing the brunt of the devastation. Most of the deaths, which currently stand at 55, are believed to have occurred in a single block of flats in Biloxi.
The storm, described as one of the worst in US history, also left vast areas of New Orleans under water although the city was spared a direct hit as Katrina weakened as it hit land and turned eastwards. Residents however have been warned not move around the city.
Damage is estimated at £14 billion with the US Red Cross mounting the largest ever rescue operation for a natural disaster.
The hurricane destroyed buildings, tore up trees, caused widespread flooding and left one million homeowners without electricity.
Authorities have since downgraded Katrina to a tropical storm as it headed up towards Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
Report by Steve Jones
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