Hurricane Gustav, which has ravaged the Caribbean for several days, will land on the Gulf Coast of the United States on September 1 local time. States along the Gulf Coast have declared a state of emergency to evacuate residents hit by the hurricane. When the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is being held in New Orleans, Louisiana, the approach of Gustav will not only bring economic losses to the main oil-producing areas in the Gulf of Mexico, but also bring great challenges to presidential candidate John McCain and the upcoming Republican National Convention.
Hurricane Gustav killed 8/kloc-0 people and caused heavy property losses in the Caribbean. On August 30th, local time, it hit Cuba, and its level was upgraded to "extremely dangerous" category 4 storm with the maximum wind speed of 240 kilometers per hour. According to the information released by the National Hurricane Center on August 3 1, "Gustav" has gradually weakened into a category 3 hurricane, but the wind has a tendency to continue to increase. It is expected to land between western Mississippi and eastern Texas on September 1 or 2. When Hurricane Gustav struck, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA was celebrating the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. On August 29th, 2005, New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, which killed about 65,438+0,600 people. This is one of the most serious natural disasters in American history. Now facing Hurricane Gustav, the Bush administration and the Gulf Coast states are on high alert. White House spokesman stenzel said that on August 30th, US President Bush called the governors of the Gulf Coast States to discuss countermeasures. Secretary of Homeland Security chertoff 31arrived in New Orleans for inspection, and said that it took the U.S. government three years to make an unprecedented plan, and now the situation is very different from that in 2005. Federal officials in the United States said that a large amount of relief supplies were being transported to the Bay Area. The American Red Cross is also counting materials, distributing vehicles and preparing to deliver tents, blankets and sanitary facilities to these areas. Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have declared a state of emergency and sent national civil guards to guard them. About 6,543,800 people in New Orleans and nearby coastal cities are being evacuated. The Gulf of Mexico is rich in oil, accounting for about a quarter of the total oil production in the United States, and 15% of the natural gas production, with 40% of the refineries in the United States. Hurricane Katrina three years ago destroyed 109 oil platforms and five derricks in this area, and the daily output of crude oil decreased by10.6 million barrels. Affected by this, crude oil futures prices fluctuated higher. According to the latest analysis report, Hurricane Gustav may reduce the daily output of crude oil in this area by 654.38+200,000 barrels, and 40% to 50% of the daily output of natural gas may also be damaged. Affected by this, the oil price in new york market soared again last weekend after a period of sharp decline. Public opinion also noted that Hurricane Gustav had a great influence on the election of Republican presidential candidate John McCain and the Republican National Convention to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 1. White House spokesman Perinaud said on August 3 1 that Bush and Vice President Cheney will not attend the Republican National Convention, but will go to the Gulf region to supervise the war. Bush's speech at the conference scheduled for the evening of September 1 Sunday will be changed to a televised speech from the coastal areas to the whole country. Mccain also changed his plan and flew to Mississippi to learn about the preparations for the hurricane and expressed concern for coastal residents. Public opinion believes that hurricane Katrina three years ago changed from a natural disaster to a political storm because of the Bush administration's improper handling. Analysts pointed out that if the Bush administration and McCain command properly and rescue in time, it is expected to reverse the image three years ago and win extra points for * * * and intra-party elections. If not handled properly, * * * and the party camp will not only lose a large number of voters, but also provide ammunition for the Democratic Party's attacks. In view of the fact that Obama and McCain are equal in strength at present, how the Bush administration and McCain respond to Hurricane Gustav may be the decisive factor.