Many news stations covering Hurricane Katrina are using before-and-after satellite images of the Gulf Coast to show the effects of the storm -- especially flooded areas of New Orleans, which showed up as dark green areas after key levees failed and the water poured in.

Now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- the federal government's top weather prediction and climate forecasting agency -- has put high-resolution satellite and aerial photos of the region on its Web site.

Other Web sites are offering similar services that allow close-up views of the damage, some with technologies that allow users to search areas by following street maps.

The Web sites allow evacuated residents to see the damage to their communities all across the Gulf Coast -- and sometimes, even their own homes.

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