Hurricane Katrina blazed a trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast Aug. 29 causing catastrophic damage to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The federal government has declared a state of emergency and is asking Americans for monetary donations to aid in the relief effort.

The eye wall of the Category 4 hurricane made landfall east of New Orleans setting off a chain reaction of horror and destruction. While Gulf Coast cities like Biloxi, Miss. and Gulfport, Miss. experienced horrendous devastation, New Orleans still faces massive flooding and projected deaths from the rapidly rising waters and imminent disease.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco today ordered the complete evacuation of New Orleans and announced that the city will be essentially closed for an three to four months.

The death toll from the storm has risen to at least 120 in Mississippi alone, while officials in Louisiana stopped counting the dead for now to focus on search and rescue missions. They expect the number of deaths to climb over the next weeks and months. Some estimates put Katrina's damage as high as $25 billion or more.

Victims are stranded and in need of immediate medical care, food and water, and tens of thousands of people will need temporary housing for months. Help people affected by this storm by making a donation today by clicking on the following link:

http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/animal_environ/hurricanes/?source=YAHOO&cmpgn=NEWS