New Orleans braces itself as flood waters recede

The floodwaters that caused so much misery and death in New Orleans were being pumped back into Lake Pontchartrain today as rescue crews from as far away as California trolled the evacuated city for stragglers and authorities braced for what the receding deluge would reveal.

The US Army Corps of Engineers began pumping water out of the flooded city today after closing a major gap in the levee that burst during Hurricane Katrina.

Efforts to evacuate holdouts were stepping up, with boat rescue crews from around the country searching for people to rescue.

“In some cases, it’s real easy. They’re sitting on the porch with their bags packed,” said Joe Youdell of the Kentucky Air National Guard. “But some don’t want to leave and we can’t force them.”

Draining the flood waters is likely to take weeks, leaving behind a layer of toxic sludge – and bodies.

The mayor said it wouldn’t be “unreasonable” if the city’s death toll reached 10,000.

Along the Mississippi coast, people who chose to stay or are stuck in demolished neighbourhoods scavenge for basics each day.