A huge range of news blogs are offering harrowing accounts and live reports on the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the attempts to restore order in New Orleans and across the Gulf states.
Since the hurricane hit, thousands of people are feared to have been killed, many more have been stranded in flooded towns and cities, and order has broken down in many places.
The US authorities have warned that looters will be dealt with by a "zero tolerance' policy and a shoot-to-kill policy has been sanctioned.
One of the most dramatic blogs, The Interdictor, published from a downtown New Orleans data centre called DirectNIC, has up-to-the-minute accounts of what is going on in the city including pictures of the devastation.
Dubbing themselves Outpost Crystal, the bloggers have refused to leave the city and are carrying a live webcam, and an array of of pictures from the streets of the city.
"Situation is critical," reports the Alpha Crystal team. "Buses loading people up on Camp Street to take refugees to Dallas, or so the word on the street (literally) is . . . dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over . . . National Guard shoving water off the backs of trucks. They're just pushing it off without stopping, people don't even know it's there at first. . . people are scared to go near it at first, because the drop points are guarded by troops or federal agents with assault rifles who don't let people come near them, which scares people off. It is a mess."
On the katrinacane blog also has harrowing accounts of people waiting to be evacuated from the city. "Its been three days, and the buses have yet to appear. Although obviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 people are packed into and around and outside the convention center still waiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine for the last three days. . . There are many infants and elderly people among them, as well as many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape flood water and the like - all of them in dire straits."
The Slidell Hurricane Damage Blog is also providing first hand accounts of the devastation along the Gulf Coast. Many of the posts are from people appealing for information about loved ones still missing. Nola View from the New Orleans Times-Picayuneis also carrying postings from people searching for missing people and messages critical of the rescue operation. One message with the subject "My parents are in New Orleans and can't get out, we need your help" says that FEMA "is not helping" people still trapped in the city. "They are out of water, food, and diesel fuel for the generator. If we don't get media attention I am afraid that something horrible will happen to my parents and everyone at the hospital," says a poster Phillip Barrocas
Users of the enormous photo database Flickr have also been pooling pictures detailing the impact of the Hurricane Katrina pictures.
Another blogging centre, boingboing.net is carrying a array of links to sites related to the hurricane. One posting attracting a huge amount of attention has uploaded two similar news photos from AFP and AP showing flood victims in New Orleans wading in chest-deep water. In each, a person appears to be dragging a bag or box or two of food or beverages.
"The images were shot by different photographers, and captioned by different photo wire services. The Associated Press caption accompanying the image with a black person says he's just finished "looting" a grocery store. The AFP/Getty Images caption describes lighter skinned people "finding" bread and soda from a grocery store. No stores are open to sell these goods," the site says.
Apart from New Orleans and its outlying areas the worst affected area is Mississppi where places such as Hancock and Harrison counties - where Biloxi and Gulfport are situated - have also been devastated. Around 100 are estimated dead in and around Biloxi while at least least 50 are estimated to have died further along the coast in city of Waveland which has been literally flattened.
The world media's focus on the famous city of New Orleans is angering many in the State or with relatives there and web users are expressing anger as they feel the extent of their tragedy is not being recognised by the authorities or the media.
A message board on the South Mississippi Heraldwebsite is inundated with appeals from people seeking information about family, relatives and friends.
One poster writes: "We have 3 family members missing ... all we hear about is New Orleans on our media and news broadcasts. My aunt is ill with cancer and from what everyone has said the area her house is in is gone. She has lived there since childhood and would not leave as she's been there thru' the last bad hurricane and figured she would be fine. I can only pray she is."
Another poster writes: "Me and my husband are leaving at 4 in the morning to go back home to north biloxi. we have seen no pics or heard anything about it. and there is thousands that is in the same situation we are in. We are bringing cameras and video to let people know what there homes and towns look like."
While some frustrated posters, veer into political territory, there is always someone else to remind them that the priority is to locate loved ones:
"Mildred Fossier went to Hancock Hosp for the storm. I saw a CBS story saying the hospital made it through the storm but was now sending its patients to another location. It did not say where. Mildred is 92 and frail. We have to find her to get her to safety. Does anyone know how we can find her? Please help us."