New Orleans Begins to See Flood Waters Decrease; Some Residents Check Damages

Good news comes to those who wait, and in this case, it is the city of New Orleans.

One week after floods from Hurricane Katrina swamped the city and left many homeless and either dead or needing evacuation, officials said Tuesday that flood waters were beginning to drop in the Big Easy. Workers had plugged one of the levee holes that broke a week ago, allowing tons of water to flood the city from Lake Pontchartrain.

Meantime, some residents were allowed back into their homes to see the destruction and damage to their properties first-hand. All those allowed to return this week must leave by week’s end or face possible arrest, as officials have begun the daunting task of searching for bodies. Officials also said much of the sitting water in the city is toxic and unsafe to come in contact with.

The Army Corps of Engineers utilized hundreds of sandbags and rocks over the Labor Day weekend to fill a 200-foot gap in the 17th Street Canal levee that burst in the aftermath of the storm. While New Orleans survived Katrina’s initial hit a week ago, it was the post-flooding that left much of the city in ruins.

With the water level declining, military and police continue their efforts to evacuate the streets of the approximately 10,000 people still believed to be in the city. Some interviewed on television Tuesday said they will not leave their properties under any circumstances.

While the looting has reportedly decreased to a great degree, military and police officers continue to patrol the city and surrounding parishes.