Kindness of strangers gets good news home

THE kindness of strangers to a newlywed Irish couple trapped in devastated downtown New Orleans helped keep a line of communication open to their worried families back home.

Shortly after 4pm yesterday, the families of Michael and Jean Leyden heard the news they were waiting for - the couple had been evacuated to Texas by the United States military.

The last word received had been they were heading through the flooded city to the Convention Centre, where thousands have been staying in crowded and unhygienic conditions.