Emergency declared as United States Gulf Coast takes a battering
An emergency has been declared along the US Gulf Coast after a tropical storm and tornados left more than 200,000 homes without power.
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of western Florida have been worst affected by Tropical Storm Bill, the second storm of the season, with an emergency being declared for the whole of Louisiana and in southern parts of Mississippi.
Much of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter is under water, according to recent reports, while authorities have moved to protect the city from sea surges by raising massive flood barriers.
While the storms winds were blowing at just 60 miles per hour – winds need to be 74 miles per hour for a storm to be classified as a hurricane – the accompanying tornados have caused severe structural damage.
