WKRG.com » News Stream » Weather »

New Orleans Residents Can Go Home Tonight

By The Associated Press

But Mayor Ray Nagin says it is at their own risk. Most homes are without power or working toilets. A New Orleans Residents Can Go Home Tonight

Published: Wed, September 03, 2008 - 8:59 am Last Updated: Wed, September 03, 2008 - 9:07 am

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane
Gustav can go home tomorrow -- but it's at their own risk.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says residents can return home starting at midnight tonight.
Nagin says those who do decide to return need to know
that many homes are without electricity or working toilets and that
a dusk-to-dawn curfew remains in effect. Nagin warns the Crescent
City is still in what he calls "a very, very vulnerable state."
As of late yesterday, there were still nearly 800,000 homes in
Louisiana without power -- 77,000 of them in New Orleans. Officials
say they have no idea when the juice might be turned back on.
Early insurance industry estimates put the expected damage to
insured properties at anywhere from 2 to 10 billion dollars. By way
of comparison, damage from Katrina totaled 41 billion dollars.
The American Red Cross says more than 11,000 people have used
shelters in Alabama.