Power failed in the Superdome around 5 a.m. Monday, triggering groans from the crowd. Emergency generators kicked in, but the backup power runs only reduced lighting, not the air conditioning.

As the wind pounded the dome early Monday, it could be heard only along the second-floor concourse - not farther into the dome.
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The refugees were not allowed to spread out on the football field, sitting instead in stadium seats in case of flooding. "We don't expect to take any water," Thornton said. "But we wanted them up higher in case."

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Morris Bivens, 53, a painter, came to the dome with his wife, daughter and five granddaughters ranging in age from 1 to 9. "I had to come," he said. "Not for me. I ride these out all the time. But I knew I couldn't save those children in this one if something happened."