<P> By 5: 00 AM EDT, Hurricane Katrina reached Category 3 intensity . </P> <P> At 10: 00 AM EDT, officials in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish, and Plaquemines Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation of all of their residents . Jefferson Parish and St. Bernard Parish ordered voluntary evacuations, recommending that all residents evacuate, particularly those living in lower areas . Jefferson Parish officials did declare a mandatory evacuation for the coastal areas of Grand Isle, Crown Point, Lafitte, and Barataria . Tolls were suspended on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway as well as the Crescent City Connection, to speed up the evacuation process . </P> <P> At 5: 00 PM EDT, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced a state of emergency and a called for a voluntary evacuation . He added that he would stick with the state's evacuation plan and not order a mandatory evacuation until 30 hours before the expected landfall . This would allow those residents in low - lying surrounding parishes to leave first and avoid gridlocked escape routes . However, he did recommend that residents of low - lying areas of the city, such as Algiers and the 9th Ward, get a head start . Nagin said the city would open the Superdome as a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs . He advised anyone planning to stay there to bring their own food, drinks and other comforts such as folding chairs . "No weapons, no large items, and bring small quantities of food for three or four days, to be safe," he said . The Louisiana National Guard had delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MRE's to the Superdome, enough to supply 15,000 people for three days . </P> <P> Governor Blanco sends a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to declare a major disaster for the State of Louisiana, in order to release federal financial assistance . </P>

When was new orleans told to evacuate for katrina
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