Signs of renewed life in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – Signs of renewed life spread in New Orleans yesterday even though flood waters from Hurricane Katrina still swamped parts of the city and the hunt for storm dead was far from over.

President George W. Bush spent the night in New Orleans aboard a military ship docked near downtown and was to tour the devastated city and visit areas in Mississippi later in the day. After arriving on Sunday he went to a base camp for hundreds of firefighters from around the country who had come to help, shaking hands and putting his arm around shoulders.The death toll from the August 29 storm climbed past 400, but the figure was far lower than initial estimates that thousands had died in New Orleans alone.While the city that 450 000 once called home was still largely empty, police and city officials began relaxing some restrictions.Thousands of residents who had refused to leave the city, despite an evacuation order and the threat of forced removal, were being allowed to stay.”We’re not forcing anyone out of their homes,” New Orleans Police Capt.Marlon Defillo said.”The people are in violation of a mandatory evacuation order.(But) we will not physically force people out of their homes.”He declined to say if it marked a permanent change in policy, but it appeared to have spared the already humbled city the spectacle of residents being pulled from their dwellings in restraints or at gunpoint, though police had said only minimal force would have been used had it come to that.The holdouts were being told that they were now on their own in terms of help.Some had refused to abandon valuable homes, especially in areas that had escaped major flooding.Others stayed behind to protect their pets.- Nampa-ReutersAfter arriving on Sunday he went to a base camp for hundreds of firefighters from around the country who had come to help, shaking hands and putting his arm around shoulders.The death toll from the August 29 storm climbed past 400, but the figure was far lower than initial estimates that thousands had died in New Orleans alone.While the city that 450 000 once called home was still largely empty, police and city officials began relaxing some restrictions.Thousands of residents who had refused to leave the city, despite an evacuation order and the threat of forced removal, were being allowed to stay.”We’re not forcing anyone out of their homes,” New Orleans Police Capt.Marlon Defillo said.”The people are in violation of a mandatory evacuation order.(But) we will not physically force people out of their homes.”He declined to say if it marked a permanent change in policy, but it appeared to have spared the already humbled city the spectacle of residents being pulled from their dwellings in restraints or at gunpoint, though police had said only minimal force would have been used had it come to that.The holdouts were being told that they were now on their own in terms of help.Some had refused to abandon valuable homes, especially in areas that had escaped major flooding.Others stayed behind to protect their pets.- Nampa-Reuters