Gustav not as severe as first feared

Residents of New Orleans breathed a collective sigh of relief as Hurricane Gustav turned out to be less damaging than had been feared.

Forecasters had issued warnings that Gustav could become a category four storm by the time it reached land, which would have made it more severe than Hurricane Katrina.

The hurricane was only rated category two when it hit New Orleans, with top winds of 110mph.

There was still significant damage, however, with roofs torn from homes, roads flooded and millions of homes left without power.

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin said that people who had evacuated the city should wait until later in the week to return.

"[Tuesday] is not a day for you to come back to the city of New Orleans," he said. "We need the streets clear to clear debris, fix power lines and do things we need to so you can come back in."

Continental Airlines announced that it planned to continue regular operations at some southern airports on September 2nd, including a number of gateways in Florida.

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