US President George W. Bush placed an emergency phone call this morning to Hurricane Katrina, urging the storm to reduce wind speed and move back out to sea.
The storm responded by raising its wind speed to 175 miles per hour and veering onto a direct course for New Orleans, Louisiana.
National Weather Service Director David L. Johnson stated to reporters, "We believe the storm is in its last throes," adding, "We are confident it will abate once it reaches land."
Residents of New Orleans and other towns on the US coast between Texas and Florida are being evacuated, despite Bush's call on local communities to "stand firm" against the winds and surging seas.
The US Weather Service has repeatedly stressed the importance of resisting dangerous weather systems over the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific oceans in order to prevent them from forming above the North American land mass. The policy has been a success, excepting a number of tornadoes that struck southern states in recent months.
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