Martial law and dangerous floodwaters in New Orleans

Soldiers toting M-16s strengthened their grip on this swamped city as concerns grew about the risks posed by the toxic floodwaters and officials braced for what could be a staggering death toll by readying 25,000 body bags.

Across miles of ravaged neighbourhoods of clapboard houses, grand estates and housing projects, workers struggled to find corpses and convince the city’s last stubborn residents to leave.

Searchers were armed with proof of what many holdouts had long feared: The floodwaters are thick with sewage-related bacteria that are at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety limits. The muck contains E. coli, certain viruses and a type of cholera-like bacteria.

“If you haven’t left the city yet, you must do so,” said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. She urged anyone coming into contact with the water to scrub with soap.

The danger of infection wasn’t limited to the New Orleans area. The bacteria is feared to have migrated to crowded shelters outside the state, where many evacuees are staying. Four deaths – one a storm victim sent to Texas, the other three in Mississippi – have been attributed to wound infections, said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the CDC.

Officials readied for the potential of a horrendous death toll. Bob Johannessen, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Hospitals, said officials had 25,000 body bags in Louisiana. Asked if authorities expected that many bodies, he said: “We don’t know what to expect.”

Mayor Ray Nagin had earlier said New Orleans’ death toll could reach 10,000. Already, a temporary warehouse morgue in rural St. Gabriel that had been prepared to take 1,000 bodies was being readied to handle 5,000. The official death toll in Mississippi climbed to 201 yesterday, but more than 1,000 are feared dead there, too.

That grim news was tempered somewhat by indications that Katrina victims could soon get federal money in their pockets – and even in the mail.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, stung by criticism that it failed to act fast enough when Katrina hit, was prepared to hand out debit cards for each household affected by the storm. At the Houston Astrodome where many New Orleans evacuees are being housed, long lines formed to register.

“The concept is to get them some cash in hand which allows them, empowers them, to make their own decisions about what do they need to have to start rebuilding,” said Michael Brown, FEMA’s head.

In addition, the US Postal Office has delivered some 15,000 Social Security cheques to collection points in areas affected by Katrina, despite being unable to locate 2,000 of its own workers.

Postmaster General John Potter vowed to get the cheques to customers.

“Regardless of where they are, we’ll move their mail to them,” Potter said. “My message to everybody is, if they are relocated, please inform us.”

The Bush administration yesterday formally asked Congress for $51.8bn (€4.2bn) in Katrina relief and recovery expenses, in addition to that already approved, calling it the latest instalment – but not the last.

“We will in fact need substantially more,” said budget director Josh Bolten, estimating that the money would cover expenses for a few weeks.

The need to move on with their lives has refugees in shelters across Texas slowly moving out. Some are staying in the state. Others are catching buses or taking flights elsewhere.

In Houston, the number of refugees was down yesterday to a total of 8,096 among four shelters including the Astrodome, said US Coast Guard Lt. Joseph Leonard.

Yvette Herbert, one of the Astrodome’s refugees, said buses were leaving for cities all over the country yesterday. Among them were Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and numerous cities in California.

“Everywhere except New Orleans,” the 19-year-old said. “I want to go back home but we can’t right now.”

Nagin has ordered law officers and the military to evacuate all holdouts in the city – by force if necessary. There were no reports of anyone being physically removed and it was not clear how the order would be carried out.

The stepped-up evacuation came as workers trying to restart essential services came under sniper fire. More than 100 officers and seven armoured personnel carriers captured a suspect in a housing project who had been firing on workers trying to restore cell phone towers, authorities said.

“We’re putting a lot of people on the street right now and I think that we are bringing it under control,” said Capt. Jeff Winn, commander of the police Swat team. “Eight days ago this was a mess. Every day is getting a little bit better.”

The floodwaters continued to recede, though slowly, with only 23 of the city’s normal contingent of 148 pumps in operation, along with three portable pumps. The water in St. Bernard Parish had fallen five feet.