Internet service has just been restored in the Birmingham, Alabama, area, so we are back online just now able to begin dealing with the horrendous catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina, no doubt the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

We have begun updating the headlines and will be blogging on the situation as information becomes available. It is impossible to get through to anyone in Louisiana by phone, cell phone or e-mail at this time. Even the New Orleans Times-Picayune had to evacuate its building, which is on one of the highest pieces of land in the city, after it became clear that the levee system on Lake Pontchartrain failed in several places, flooding 80 percent of the city in up to 20 feet of water.

Here’s the blog post announcing it:

T-P EVACUATING

Tuesday, 9:40 a.m.

The Times-Picayune is evacuating it’s New Orleans building. Water continues to rise around our building, as it is throughout the region. We want to evaucate our employees and families while we are still able to safely leave our building.

Our plan is to head across the Mississippi River on the Pontchartrain Expressway to the west bank of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. From there, we’ll try to head to Houma.

Our plan, obviously, is to resume providing news to our readers ASAP. Please refer back to this site for continuing information as soon as we are able to provide it.

A couple of quick AP story links:

Hurricane Katrina ‘Catastrophic’

Katrina Devastation Called ‘Overwhelming’

For more headlines, check the Locust Fork News page.

(More…developing…)