Lili Poised to Inundate Louisiana

As Hurricane Lili bears down on Louisiana, forecasters say the storm could be one of the strongest to hit the state in 150 years. About 850,000 people - a fifth of the state's population - were told to evacuate as the storm increased in speed and strength.

Lili is a Category 4 Hurricane, which means it contains sustained winds of at least 131 miles per hour. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the hurricane's winds neared 145 miles per hour.

Saffir-Simpson Scale With wind speed, typical damage and recent hurricanes: Category 1 74-95 mph (119-153 km/hr) Primarily to unanchored mobile homes Allison, 1995; Danny, 1997 Category 2 96-110 mph (154-177 km/hr) Roofs, doors, windows, trees and shrubbery Bonnie, Georges, 1998 Category 3 111-130 mph (178-209 km/hr) Some structural damage, foliage blown off trees Roxanne, 1995; Fran, 1996 Category 4 131-155 mph (210-249 km/hr) Extensive damage, including lower floors of shoreline houses Luis, Felix, Opal, 1995 Category 5 Greater than 155 mph (249 km/hr) Roof failure, complete building failure, considerable flooding Mitch, Gilbert, 1998 Source: National Hurricane Center

Forecaster Ed Rappaport of the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned residents in Lili's path, saying, "It is critical at this stage to rush preparations to protect your life." Everyone along the shore was advised to move inland and heed the directions of emergency management officials.

Lili carries with it the threat of an enormous storm surge - the water pushed toward the shore by the force of the storm's winds - that could be as much as 25 feet. If it makes landfall in a place that is just 10 to 15 feet above sea level, the area would be flooded for several hours as the hurricane moved through.

One major city Lili could affect is New Orleans. Residents there are boarding up businesses and taping windows, even though they don't believe their city is in the direct path of the storm. But because New Orleans sits below sea level - in some places as much as 11 feet - flooding could be severe if the city gets too much rain.

The storm couldn't come at a worse time for Louisiana. Just one week ago, Tropical Storm Isidore caused serious flooding in the state. That system battered some of Louisiana's sugarcane crop, and Lili's effect could be much worse.