Nine Die as Ivan Batters Pensacola, Spares New Orleans

MIAMI, Florida, September 16, 2004 (ENS) - Hurricane Ivan roared ashore early this morning at Gulf Shores, Alabama, and is now pounding the city of Pensacola, Florida with winds of 130 miles per hour with higher gusts, and heavy rain. The low lying city of New Orleans is experiencing flooding rain and storm surges, but the city was spared the dire predictions of destruction flying around ahead of Hurricane Ivan.

At least nine people have lost their lives in Florida and Louisiana as a result of the hurricane. On Wednesday, five people died in Blountstown, Florida, 40 miles west of the state capital Tallahassee, in a tornado accompanying Hurricane Ivan, police officials said.

Hurricane Ivan spread high winds and tornadoes across the Gulf Coast on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy NASA)

A girl died in Milton, about 20 miles northeast of Pensacola this morning when a tree smashed her family's mobile home, the AP reports.

And a New Orleans man died in a one vehicle traffic accident last night that New Orleans police investigators say was weather related.

At four o'clock this morning the eye of the hurricane was located inland about 40 miles northwest of Pensacola. Thousands of people have evacuated their Pensacola Bay Area homes and are staying in shelters in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Shelters at the Pensacola Civic Center and the University of West Florida are at capacity and are closed to incoming evacuees.

Pensacola sewage is spilling into the bay as two pumps feeding into the Main Street Sewage Treatment Plant in downtown Pensacola failed last night. Emergency workers cannot repair the system due to hurricane force winds, according to the Pensacola "News-Journal" newspaper.

Rain obscures this traffic camera in Tallahassee. (Photo courtesy City of Tallahassee)

Power lines and trees have been toppled by the high winds, and power is out for some sections of Tallahassee.

The National Hurricane Center says the hurricane warning for New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain has been discontinued as have all watches and warnings from west of Grand Isle to Morgan City. A hurricane warning remains in effect from the mouth of the Pearl River to Apalachicola, Florida.

New Orleans police this morning lifted a curfew they had imposed ahead of Hurricane Ivan and say residents may now resume normal activities.

Weather officials say maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 115 miles per hour with higher gusts across much of the area, and they expect the storm to gradually weaken as it moves inland.

City worker fixes a downed power line this morning in Tallahassee (Webcam image courtesy City of Tallahassee)

Weather officials warn that occupants of high-rise buildings within the hurricane warning areas can expect higher winds than people on the streets below.

Louisiana transport officials have reopened I-10 Eastbound into New Orleans, but many coastal roads and bridges are still closed due to flooding.

Louisiana and Florida National Guards have been mobilized for rapid response search and rescue duties.

Hurricane Ivan is the third major hurricane to strike Florida in a month. The American Red Cross has been working overtime operating shelters and distributing relief supplies to hurricane victims.

On Wednesday afternoon Red Cross President and CEO Marty Evans joined President George W. Bush, his brother Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown on a tour of several eastern Florida communities damaged by Hurricane Frances earlier this month.

President George W. Bush hands out water and ice to hurricane victims in Florida. (Photo courtesy American Red Cross)

“It was apparent that people really appreciated seeing the President roll up his sleeves to help disaster victims," said Evans.

Evans then accompanied the President to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, where they were briefed on current hurricane activity and preparation for Ivan.

In an address to Florida residents from the National Hurricane Center, President Bush thanked the emergency operation centers across the state of Florida, the first responders, and the police and firefighters, and the Red Cross volunteers.