Katrina’s Aftermath Leaves Flooding, Dozens Dead

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urricane Katrina killed at least 60 people after slamming the Gulf Coast Monday with winds as high as 140 mph, causing severe flooding in four states, news services reported.

As many as 80 people or more may have died, the Associated Press reported. One of the worst hit areas was Gulfport, Miss., where portions of Interstate 10 were washed away.

President Bush declared parts of Mississippi and Alabama major disaster areas, freeing up federal disaster aid, and full damage estimates and casualties weren't immediately available, news reports said.

Katrina was downgraded to a tropical depression Tuesday afternoon as it moved on a northeasterly track into the Ohio Valley, weather reports said.

The remnants of the storm, which left more than 1 million people without power, was moving toward the north-northeast at about 18 mph on a path through Tennessee and Kentucky, with weather forecasters warning of potential flooding and tornadoes in surrounding areas.

New Orleans, while spared a direct hit from the strongest part of the hurricane, had extensive flooding throughout the city and surrounding areas, with several levees breaking overnight, news reports said.