New Orleans Saints punt returner Michael Lewis couldn't help but stay glued to the television as weather stations offered round-the-clock coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

"I slept for only about an hour, if that," the New Orleans native said Monday. "I watched about everything I could on TV."

New Orleans was hit by 145-mph winds, heavy rain and flooding, but the Saints were across the country under clear skies at the San Jose State campus in San Jose, Calif., preparing for Thursday night's preseason game against the Oakland Raiders.

"This has been on everybody's mind," cornerback Jimmy Williams said. "From where did they leave their car parked because it's probably going to be underwater because of the flood to alligators in your house."

Wind from Katrina ripped two holes in the roof of the Louisiana Superdome - the home field of the Saints - on Monday morning. The Tulane football team, which also plays its home games there, escaped to Jackson, Miss., and hunkered down on the Jackson State campus.

The Saints bought $5,000 worth of tickets to San Jose State's season opener Saturday against Eastern Washington as a reward for being allowed to use the facilities. The tickets will be distributed to disadvantaged children.

"If we can deal with this, we'll be a better football team in the long run," Saints coach Jim Haslett said.

The storm's destruction resonated far beyond the delta. Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was born, raised and went to college in Louisiana, and still has family there.

"This is the big one that we all grew up fearing," he said.

Buffalo Bills receiver Eric Moulds' home in Mississippi was in the direct path of the hurricane's eye.

"I have my text phone, so a lot of my friends back home are keeping in contact about what is going on," said Moulds, whose house is 25 minutes away from Gulfport. "I'm anxious to get back in the locker room to see if I got any calls."

Moulds' mother, who lives in his house, and other family members were among the thousands who fled the region as Katrina moved inland.

"When they tell you not to go outside and to evacuate, people don't realize that your life is in your hands," Moulds said. "When you can see the winds actually pick up a car, you can understand how strong those 145 mph winds are."

Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn has a grandmother in Baton Rouge, La. She chose to sit out the storm instead of joining him in Atlanta.

"The only thing I can do is keep trying to call," Dunn said. "No one in my family got on the highway. ... The line has been busy. It kind of scares you a little bit."

Giants quarterback Eli Manning's parents boarded up their home in Philadelphia, Miss., a few hundred miles north of New Orleans.

"I am worried," Manning said. "Obviously you just have to wait and see what the damage is. I'll call my parents later today and they'll probably have a better feel for what's going on. You just pray that people are OK and that the damage is not as bad as it can be."

The baseball game between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves was postponed because of heavy rain expected throughout the night on the outer edges of the massive storm. The postponed game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Wednesday, beginning at 4:35 p.m.

The Oklahoma RedHawks, the Texas Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, welcomed the New Orleans Zephyrs on Monday night with a benefit to aid relief efforts.

Oklahoma decided to exchange tickets for bottled water. Any fan who shows up with a donation through Labor Day gets in for free. RedHawks spokeswoman Laurie Gore said Oklahoma City can empathize with the areas battered by Katrina after the terrorist bombings in 1995.

"Oklahoma City has had a reputation for disaster," Gore said. "We understand what it's like, and we want to help. Our fans will want to help this team and that town."