Evening star., 1947-09-20
HurricaneDies;
New0r|eansHit
ByLakeF|ood
II Reported Dead
On Gulf; Storm
Dying Over Land
BY the Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 2O.-
Hurricane-groggy New Orleans
grimly battled serious floods to-
day as the diminishing 11-day-
old tropical storm moved beyond
Shreveport with fitful gusts and
heavy rains.
There were unconfirmed reports
of at least dozen deaths on the
Gulf Coast, in addition to seven
known dead in Florida. Property
damage will run into the millions,
q hurried survey revealed
Lake Borgne backed into Bayou
Bienvenue, broke through a railroad
embankment and flooded a stable
section of Eastern New Orleans.
Police said 1000 had been evacu-
ated from an area Is blocks long
and 16 blocks wide now under water.
There were no estimates of its depth.
There were no reported casualties
in that area but police said they
had received calls for ambulances.
Storm Dying Out.
The storm, as it hit Shreveport
and moved northwest into Texas
and Oklahoma, was nothing like the
terrific 100-mile terror that struck
the Gulf Coast early yesterday
after hitting Southern Florida
terrific blow Wednesday.
Winds had slackened to about
40 and so miles an hour. Rain was
heavy. No damage was reported in
the Shreveport area.
James H. Gillis, Times-Picayune
reporter, in a communication filed
from Gulfport; Miss, via Naval
Reserve radio last night gave the
unconfirmed reports of at least II
deaths from drowning and other
causes.
No bodies had been recovered,
he said, but added five were known
to be dead in the Pass Christian,
(Miss.) area.
The entire coastal area was
isolated. communications still were
difficult this morning.
Refugees continued to pour in to
shelters.
Landmarks Swept Away.
Familiar landmarks all along the
Gulf Coast were swept away.
New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
began to count its cost. Untold
damage was done to sugar cane
between here and Baton Rouge and
north Of the State capital. Thou
sands of acres were flattened., F..
Evans Farrell, New Orleans cane
grower, pointed out that 'it takes
a 120:-mile wind to snap cane Off
at the ground
At least 20 persons were treated
here for minor injuries resulting
from the storm. Most were cut
by flying glass or hit by debris sail
ing through the air. The central
fire station said that between 200
and 300 fires were extinguished
yesterday and last night. Most were
blamed on broken electric connec-
tion and failing wires.
The Weather Bureau said winds
OF 30 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts
up to SO miles per hour, are being
reported within 100 miles of the
center.
Storm to Reach Oklahoma,
On its present course, the bureau
said, the hurricane will travel with
diminishing intensity into North
eastern Texas and Southern Okla
homa, and added, winds will con-
tince strong and gusty, accompanied
by rain, across Arkansas, North
eastern Texas and into Oklahoma
during the day, but will diminish in
Louisiana and Mississippi by this
afternoon"
The bureau also said the big wind
should have died down to 25 to IS
miles per hour around the storm
center by this afternoon.
Police reported that 1000 persons
have been evacuated and rescue ef-
forts still are under way in the Lake
Borgne area.
The lake overfowed ahead of the
heavy winds and had caused. no
damage until the heavy embank-
ment OF the Southern Railway gave
way.
Lake Borgne adjoins Lake Pom
chartrain and is about 10 miles
(see HURRICANE, Page A-2J