Katrina's effect on Brookhaven, MS

I live in a small town called Brookhaven (mapquest link). This town is about 130 miles north of New Orleans.

Interstate 55 which was part of the hurricane evacuation route was north-bound on both lanes until it reached Brookhaven. People have flooded into Brookhaven, seeking shelter from Katrina.

Brookhaven received approximately 70+ mph winds. This is a gross estimation, I can't say with any certainty how fast or slow the winds were going.

What I can say is that we lost about 8 big oak trees in our front yard. When oak trees fall because of bad weather, they usually just `fall over.' Imagine a big oak tree laying completely on its side. Now imagine the earth that covers the roots being perpendicular to the trunk and to the ground. You've just imagined what a fallen oak looks like. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Strangely, we didn't lose any pines. A pine tree's root system is a `tap root' system. The root system essentially drills straight down into the earth, providing a strong anchor into the earth. When a pine falls because of weather, it almost always snaps the trunk becaues the root system is so firmly entrenched in the earth.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.