Hurricane Katrina made landfall again this morning (Aug. 29) as a Category 4 storm, striking the Louisiana coastline days after damaging parts of south Florida, particularly Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Florida and Louisiana equine organizations had prepared information on evacuation stabling, while at least one equine disaster response team waited in Atlanta, Ga., for notice of whether it would be needed to deploy to weather-torn areas after Katrina passed.

Katrina blew through southern Florida before heading out to the Gulf of Mexico, where it gained strength. According to the latest National Weather Service report, which was released at 2pm CDT, the center of Katrina had weakened over land to a Category 1 hurricane. Katrina was “about 20 miles west-southwest of Hattiesburg, Miss.,” as hurricane-spawned storms pounded Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the north central Gulf Coast, from Morgan City, La., eastward to the Alabama/Florida border, including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain, continued the report. All hurricane watches were discontinued at 10am CDT. A tropical storm warning remained in effect from east of the Alabama/Florida border to Indian Pass, Fla., and from west of Morgan City to Cameron, La.

The hurricane was moving north at about 18 mph, and that general motion was expected to continue today and tonight, stated the National Weather Service. On that track, the center will move over southern Mississippi today and into central Mississippi this evening. Maximum sustained had decreased to near 95 mph with higher gusts, and hurricane-force winds were expected to spread as far as 150 miles inland along the path of Katrina