Updates as they come in on Katrina

Tom Planchet

10:16 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP): The last time Congress came back from a vacation early, it made a failed effort to save Terry Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman in Florida. The scene Thursday bore similar life-or-death overtones but without the controversy, as a few lawmakers began returning to House and Senate chambers from a monthlong summer break to high-speed $10.5 billion to cover Hurricane Katrina costs.

It's no easy task, putting that kind of money on the fast track. But the devastation in New Orleans, Mississippi and other Gulf Coast areas puts unprecedented pressure on Congress to help.

"This country's never seen a refugee challenge," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."

"Hot-lining a bill" is Senate shorthand for the expedited process by which leaders bring up and pass a bill with only a few members present because nobody objects.

10:15 P.M. - (AP): Helicopters hauled hundreds of patients from New Orleans-area hospitals Thursday, but the job wasn't half done, according to the ambulance executive coordinating the evacuation.

Richard Zuschlag, president and CEO of Acadian Ambulance Service Inc., estimated that helicopter crews evacuated 400 to 600 patients Thursday. "We still have probably somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 to get out," he said that evening.

The patients were taken to New Orleans' international airport, triaged, and put into C-130 aircraft with 60 to 80 patients in each, he said.

From there, he didn't know where they went.

8:10 P.M. - BATON ROUGE (AP): Military helicopters on Thursday dropped sandbags into the levee breach that allowed flood waters from Lake Pontchartrain to pour into New Orleans, Louisiana's top transportation official said.

The sandbags are part of a temporary plan aimed at plugging the hole in the levee. The next part: drop about 250 concrete road barriers into the area and seal the spot where swirling waters undermined and toppled the floodwall, said Johnny Bradberry, head of the state Department of Transportation and Development.

"We'll start putting in the concrete when we run out of sand," Bradberry said.

The lake's levels have dropped about 2 1/2 feet over the past two days, about equal to the water level in flooded areas on the other side of the levee, Bradberry said. Contractors also had finished building a road that will make it easier to get heavy equipment to the levee area that needs to be repaired.

7:39 P.M. - AUSTIN (AP): Texas agencies will work to ensure Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina receive food and health care benefits while in Texas.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission said today its offices in some Texas cities will extend office hours to help refugees with Medicaid, food stamp benefits and other aid.

Pharmacies have received instructions on how to help Louisiana Medicaid recipients who need prescriptions filled in Texas.

Louisiana food stamp recipients can use their electronic benefit cards at large retailers such as HEB and Wal-Mart. The agency also is working to provide Louisiana clients of the Women, Infants, Children Program those benefits in Texas.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services also is helping place Louisiana foster care children, including 49 children from a New Orleans facility.

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services is working to find nursing facility beds. So far, the Texas agency has served more than 2,500 Louisiana families displaced by the hurricane.

7:29 P.M. - (AP): Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Jimmy Field says about 800 thousand people are without power and more than 800 thousand phone lines are out of service.

7:11 P.M. - (AP): The Internal Revenue Service is weighing in on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on both donors and victims.

It's reminding people who'd like to contribute cash to the relief effort to make sure the charities qualify for tax-exempt status. If so, then donors can deduct the contribution from their federal income taxes. The IRS is also setting up a hotline for hurricane victims, offering information on tax relief programs, tax return information and disaster tax loss kits.

It says those who've suffered personal and business losses in the storm shouldn't worry about tax deadlines or lost paperwork. The agency says anyone in the disaster areas who is sending correspondence or payments should write "Hurricane Katrina" in red ink at the top of any documents.

7:08 P.M. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of consumers are flooding a government hotline to complain about alleged gas-price gouging. Some lawmakers are demanding an investigation into the steep spike in prices this week.

7:04 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- The military expects to put 30,000 National Guard troops on duty in the Gulf states as demands grow for more security and relief assistance, the commander in charge of military relief and rescue efforts said Thursday.

About 24,000 of those will be on the ground in Louisiana and Mississippi in the next three days, Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore said in a telephone interview with reporters at the Pentagon. He also ordered the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan from the Louisiana coast to waters off Biloxi, Miss., to assist with hurricane relief operations there.

The additional Guard units, plus active duty troops responding to the disaster, brings the total military complement to more than 40,000.

6:54 P.M. WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., issued the following statement today in response to comments in the suburban Chicago Daily Herald by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. The paper reported Speaker Hastert as saying "It doesn't make sense" to rebuild New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"While I disagree strongly with Speaker Hastert's comments regarding the city of New Orleans, he raises a debate that we can address at some time in the future. Right now, however, we have important work to do. I encourage Speaker Hastert and our colleagues to focus time and attention today and tomorrow on providing Louisiana with the local, state and federal security resources necessary to support Governor Blanco's efforts to stabilize this very challenging situation.

"When we do discuss the long-term rebuilding of New Orleans and the parishes of St. Tammany, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and Jefferson, I will do everything I can to express that southeast Louisiana is filled with the most extraordinary of people and blessed with the most extraordinary of resources. Not only are they worth saving, but they are worth every penny of a complete rebuilding effort.

"I thank Speaker Hastert for his concern and look forward to speaking with him in person as soon as we are able."

6:46 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress rushed to provide a $10.5 billion down payment in relief aid for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina on Thursday as President Bush ordered new action to minimize disruptions in the nation's energy supplies.

"Don't buy gas if you don't need it," he urged consumers already hit by sharply rising prices.

6:28 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six truckloads of medical materials from the Strategic National Stockpile are headed to hurricane-stricken Louisiana and Mississippi, and 10 temporary hospitals should open at area military bases by Friday night.

The government said emergency medical shelters are being established at Fort Polk, La., the Mississippi Air National Guard Station in Jackson, Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Fla., and the Naval Air Station in Meridian, Miss.

The shelters are in addition to one at Louisiana State.

6:09 P.M. - Email from viewer on people stranded in downtown hotels:

I talked to my neice this morning. She works at the Sheraton right across the street and had beenat the hotel from Sunday night until this morning. She said that while the first floors of all of the downtown hotels were flooded about 5 feet deep, most are in decent shape and the people inside are doing pretty well - the hotels were stocked with quite a bit of food and bottled water/beverages.

5:51 P.M. - CNN Reports that someone in the convention center says dead bodies have been seen inside and outside the facility.

5:33 P.M. - AUSTIN (AP): Texas has agreed to accept another 25,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees -- and they'll be heading for Dallas. Officials earlier announced refugee groups estimated at 25,000 apiece will be housed in Houston and San Antonio.

5:30 P.M. - NEW YORK (AP): NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue says it's unlikely the Saints will play in New Orleans this season after the devastation Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath inflicted on the city.

The Saints will move into a hotel in San Antonio, Texas, this weekend and practice in San Antonio in preparation for their regular-season opener at Carolina September 11. They have spent this week in San Jose, California, and played their final exhibition tonight in Oakland.

But it still hasn't been decided where they will play their regular-season opener September 18 against the New York Giants or play the rest of their games.

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which runs Giants Stadium, has offered to host the upcoming Giants-Saints game there. It would likely be played Monday, September 19 because the Jets will play Miami that Sunday at Giants Stadium.

Tagliabue said moving the game to New Jersey is one possibility.

He also said games could be played at another NFL stadium or at a non-NFL stadium. He didn't name any specifically, but the Alamodome in San Antonio seats 65,000 for football.

5:27 P.M. - (AP): House Speaker Dennis Hastert says it makes no sense to spend (b) billions of dollars to rebuild New Orleans, which is seven feet under sea level.

Hastert, in a transcript supplied by the newspaper, said there was no question that the people of New Orleans would rebuild their city, but noted that federal insurance and other federal aid was involved.

Hastert's press secretary, Ron Bonjean, said Hastert was not suggesting New Orleans should be abandoned or relocated.

Hastert announced today that the House, currently at the end of its summer break, would return for an emergency session tomorrow to approve some $10 billion in federal aid for hurricane victims.

5:24 P.M. - (AP): Even when Katrina's floodwaters are pumped out of New Orleans -- a process that could take weeks -- the city will be anything but dry.

Buildings, vehicles and their contents will be waterlogged and covered with mud. Whatever debris is currently sloshing around in the floodwaters will be strewn about the city in enormous piles.

Everything will be waterlogged, most of it ruined. It will be a monumental task just coordinating the collection and disposal of debris and trash.

Virtually everything worth keeping will have to be washed off, decontaminated and dried out. The city's drinking water distribution system will need to be flushed out and disinfected, a process that could take weeks or even months.

Buildings will have to be stripped down to their studs and dried out with dehumidifiers, a process that can't even begin in New Orleans until electricity is restored weeks or months from now.

For many homeowners, the expense and effort may not even be worth it. The median home in New Orleans costs about $87,000 -- by the time you figure in debris removal, demolition, drying and rebuilding, it may be cheaper simply to knock the whole house down and build a new one on its foundation.

5:18 P.M. - WWL-TV: Seven children, ages 7-years to 4-months-old, were rescued this afternoon and are waiting at an evacuee station for their mother, who is missing.

5:14 P.M. - WWL-TV: Hibernia Corporation is requesting that all of its employees who live in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina call the following toll-free number: 1-800-707-0489. They want to find out where you are and how you are doing. If you need help, they will put you in touch with the right resources.

5:11 P.M. - WWL-TV: Robert M. Gates , President of Texas A&M University, said the Galveston campus will welcome 1,000 displaced students for up to one year. They will be charged the state minimum for tuition.

5:08 P.M. - WWL-TV: The Oakwood Mall is on fire. Emergency crews are on the scene, but water pressure is so low, firefighters are having a tough time keeping the blaze under country.

5:04 P.M. - Cecil Picard, State Superintendent of Education: All Department of Education meetings have been cancelled for the month of September. He urged displaced families to get their children registered in school systems outside Louisiana. Picard said he wants to make sure that every displaced teacher, bus driver, cafeteria worker, counselor and custodian has a job.

4:58 P.M. - (AP): The New Orleans suburb of St. Bernard Parish is little more than "water, water everywhere" with a few rooftops sticking above the floods of Hurricane Katrina, a government official who escaped the devastated region said Thursday. Click here.

4:50 P.M. - Rev. Jesse Jackson: "We cannot turn on each other. We must turn to each other." Jackson said he'll be in town as long as he can; maybe five or six days. He asked people to help one another, calling the aftermath of the disaster "a great faith tester."

4:49 P.M. - Red Cross official: This is the largest humanitarian relief project going on in entire nation.

4:47 P.M. - ST. PAUL (AP): A Minnesota manufacturer of power generators is lengthening its shifts and expanding its work force to crank out more machines needed to bring power to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Coleman Powermate of Springfield has already added 20 workers and is looking for more skilled welders, assemblers and metal fabricators to keep the plant running for 22 hours instead of the usual 18.

Plant manager Paul Klimek says the company wants to double the generator output.

Klimek says the demand is endless and every truckload of generators the company producers is heading south to the hurricane area.

The company makes 5,000 and 6,000-watt generators that can provide enough power to run household appliances.

4:45 P.M. - (AP): In a dramatic turnabout, the United States is now on the receiving end of help from around the world as some two dozen countries offer post-hurricane assistance. Click here.

4:40 P.M. - HOUSTON (AP): Some Hurricane Katrina refugees in Houston are getting food, a place to shower -- and a chance to go online.

Companies and non-profit agencies are working to give thousands of evacuees at the Astrodome more access to the outside world. Donated computers with high-speed Internet connections are planned as part of the effort described as "Technology For All."

A center is being set up with 40 desktop computers loaded with office productivity software and connected to the Internet.

The sprawling stadium already has a bank of telephones set up. D isplaced residents from the Superdome in New Orleans are getting ten-minute blocks of time to make free local and long-distance calls.

4:36 P.M. - BATON ROUGE (AP): New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes says he and thousands of other evacuees from New Orleans are being housed in Roman Catholic churches, schools and gymnasiums in Baton Rouge.

He told CNN that the Baton Rouge area's population of 350,000 is expected to double as refugees continue to arrive from New Orleans.

The archbishop says a special collection will be taken up at Catholic churches nationwide this Sunday for hurricane relief. Hughes notes that contributions also can be made to Catholic Charities or to the American Red Cross.

4:34 P.M. - (AP): Supplies ran dry at a small-but-growing number of gas stations across the United States on Thursday as Gulf Coast refiners and pipelines remained hobbled by Hurricane Katrina and motorists nervous about tightening supplies lined up to top off their tanks.

Most of the stations with "Out of Gas" signs and yellow caution tape draped across their pumps were concentrated along the East Coast and in Midwest states. Station owners said many of the shortages were temporary, exacerbated by panic buying and delayed deliveries.

A few stations turned off their pumps because wholesale prices were rising so fast that they were selling fuel at a loss -- even as prices spiked overnight to levels well above $3 a gallon.

Governors in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania urged motorists to conserve fuel and they warned retailers about alleged price gouging. President Bush also called for conservation and sought to calm motorists, saying that Hurricane Katrina would only cause a "temporary disruption" to the supply of gasoline.

Gas stations ran dry in many states, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia West Virginia and Wisconsin.

4:31 P.M. - BAGHDAD (AP): National Guard troops from Louisiana and other Gulf states will not be withdrawn from Iraq ahead of schedule, despite devastation from Hurricane Katrina.

Some units already are due to leave next month, ending a year in Iraq, but the process could take weeks to complete.

The U.S. Command says it has installed help lines for troops trying to contact family members. Still, pressure appears to be building for an early pullout allowing troops to return to their home states battered by Katrina.

More than 18,000 National Guard troops in the United States have been dedicated to Katrina relief and security. This could be the largest military response to a natural disaster.

4:22 P.M. - BATON ROUGE (AP): The Times-Picayune of New Orleans will resume printing a newspaper -- days after Hurricane Katrina forced it to abandon a printed edition. The newspaper has been available online. Officials hope to print 50-thousand copies, using the facility of The Houma Courier, a newspaper 60 miles southwest of New Orleans.

4:19 P.M. - BATON ROUGE (AP): The Rev. Jesse Jackson was expected to arrive in Louisiana on Thursday to visit with evacuees forced into shelters by Hurricane Katrina and then to see the devastation the storm has wrought on New Orleans.

State Sen. Cleo Fields, who invited Jackson to the area, said Jackson intended to stay in the storm-affected areas "as long as it takes to restore hope to the people who have lost everything in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," according to a news release from the Louisiana Senate.

Jackson was expected to receive a briefing from emergency preparedness officials before traveling to the Baton Rouge shelters and to New Orleans.

4:15 P.M. - (AP): Police say storm victims are being raped and beaten inside the New Orleans Convention Center.

About 15,200 people who had taken shelter at the convention center to await buses grew increasingly hostile.

Police Chief Eddie Compass says he sent in 88 officers to quell the situation at the building, but they were quickly beaten back by an angry mob.

Compass says, "We have individuals who are getting raped, we have individuals who are getting beaten."

He says tourists are walking in that direction and they are getting preyed upon.

In hopes of defusing the unrest at the convention center, Mayor Ray Nagin gave the refugees permission to march across a bridge to the city's unflooded west bank for whatever relief they can find. But the bedlam appeared to make leaving difficult.

4:11 P.M. - HOUSTON (AP): More patients from hurricane ravaged hospitals in New Orleans and other medical facilities along the Gulf Coast arrived today in Texas.

Many of the patients are being transported to Houston by planes landing at Ellington Field.

Doctors and nurses at the airport are offering the evacuees preliminary care before sending them to Houston-area hospitals. Some hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas also have been receiving patients from Louisiana.

4:07 p.m. - WASHINGTON (AP): It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

3:09 P.M. - (AP): The Bush administration intends to seek more than $10 billion to cover immediate relief needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, congressional officials said Thursday, and lawmakers made plans to approve the request by the weekend. "It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois Republican said in an interview Wednesday with The Daily Herald of Arlington, Ill.

Several officials said $10 billion would cover immediate costs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the government's front-line responder in cases of natural disasters. Several hundred million dollars would also be provided to fund the Pentagon's disaster relief efforts, congressional aides said.

3:06 P.M. - (AP): Fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. "This is a desperate SOS," the mayor said.

Anger mounted across the ruined city, with thousands of storm victims increasingly hungry, desperate and tired of waiting for buses to take them out.

"We are out here like pure animals. We don't have help," the Rev. Issac Clark, 68, said outside the New Orleans Convention Center, where corpses lay in the open and the and other evacuees complained that they were dropped off and given nothing -- no food, no water, no medicine.

2:48 P.M. - Gov. Blanco: "Thousands" are believed to be dead. And between 200 and 300,000 people still need to be evacuated from the city. 2,400 people are still waiting to be evacuated from the Superdome.

One official said the Army Corps of Engineers are currently driving pilings, dumping sand, into the breaches in the levee. Concrete barriers will go up after the sand is laid down. They will assess the pumps, and it could take as long as one month before the water is completely drained from the city. The Army Corps is being escorted to the levees by State Police.

Blanco said 12,000 National Guard troops from various regions in the nation are being deployed to the area, bringing the total number of troops to 40,000. The Governor added that looters will be dealt with. Blanco said Baton Rouge has its own concerns with refugees, who have reportedly been causing similar trouble in the state capital.

Hospital evacuations are going well. Chalmette and Tulane Hospitals are emptied.

No casualty list reported yet.

2:40 P.M. - AP Analysis: When is looting okay?

2:37 P.M. - CNN Reports that snipers have fired shots on Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

2:31 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- With images of looting and reports of gunfire frightening evacuees and rescuers alike in New Orleans, the government says it is sending enough National Guardsmen to keep the peace.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says there have been only "isolated incidents of criminality" in New Orleans.

2:25 P.M. - Email to WWL producer today from a friend: Talked to Donny (news photographer Donny Pearce of WVUE) today for a while, he's in Shreveport with his folks, sounds very shaken up, had a horrifying escape from the city apparently, people hanging on his truck begging for help/food/money....saw all the looting,, taped the storm shredding JP Sheriffs headquarters.

2:20 P.M. - Airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc: There have been hundreds of helicopter operations over the past 3 days as the helicopter are bringing in people that are being rescued from throughout the region to transfer to civilian and military aircraft to take them to points of safety.

2:14 P.M. - Airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc: Armstrong International Airport did become operational on Tuesday, August 30 for humanitarian relief flights and civilian and military rescue efforts. Since opening the airfield, several of our commercial air carriers, including American, Southwest, Northwest, Continental, United, and Delta have all sent in aircraft with relief supplies and have taken out the stranded travelers as well as all others who wanted to depart the Airport. In total over 100 employees, 200 stranded passengers and 400 others were flown out of Armstrong International.

2:13 P.M. - Duffourc: The Airport has been on generator power since Monday, August 29 with the bare power necessities. CA One Services, our Food & Beverage Concessionaire has been providing meals to those stranded in the terminal.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up a triage center in the Airport's West Terminal near the Delta and Continental Ticket Counters and has been treating people that have been evacuated from the Superdome in Downtown New Orleans and other locations.

2:11 P.M. - Blanco: Please stop broadcasting that there is "shooting in the Superdome." She said everyone brought inside was checked for weapons before entering. "There is no shooting inside the Superdome." She says the incorrect reports are upsetting the people inside of the dome who have been very calm.

2:06 P.M. - Corps of Engineers: Lake water continues to go down. Dropped two to two and a half feet in the past two days. Work progressing on plugging break in levee. Sandbags dropped and pilings being driven. Engineer says progress is "looking good."

2:04 P.M. - (AP) Fights and trash fires broke out, rescue helicopters were shot at and anger mounted across New Orleans on Thursday, as National Guardsmen poured in to help restore order across this increasingly desperate and lawless city.

"We are out here like pure animals. We don't have help," the Rev. Issac Clark, 68, said outside the New Orleans Convention Center, where corpses lay in the open and he and other evacuees complained that they were dropped off and given nothing -- no food, no water, no medicine.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the government is sending in 1,400 National Guardsmen to help stop looting and other lawlessnes in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

1:54 P.M. - Emergency Operations spokesman: Hospitals overwhelmed.

1:53 P.M. - Emergency Operations spokeswoman: 49,800 people in shelters in this state right now. Room for 70,000 more.

1:48 P.M. - Blanco: troopers from Arkansas, Texas and Kentucky coming in to help restore order. Sheriff's deputies from as far away as Michigan.

1:47 P.M. - Blanco: I've requested 40,000 troops.

1:47 P.M. - Governor Blanco: Superdome now under control, evacuations resume.

1:37 P.M. - (AP): Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday that 1,400 National Guard troops per day are being sent in to control looting and lawlessness in New Orleans, quadrupling the regular police force in the city by the weekend.

Already, 2,800 National Guardsmen are in the city to help local police since Hurricane Katrina produced devastating floods in New Orleans, Chertoff said at a news conference with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Another 1,400 Guard troops and military police units are being added daily, he said.

1:32 P.M. - New Orleans Homeland Security Chief Terry Ebbert calls FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina an embarrassment.

1:28 P.M. - WWL-TV's Dennis Woltering describes driving over the Crescent City Connection to go into town for an interview, and seeing the silhouette of the city as "eerie."

1:20 P.M. - (AP): South Carolina is sending 300 Army National Guard soldiers to Louisiana to help efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonial Pete Brooks says officials have started assembling a military police company, a water purification company and a transport unit.

1:09 P.M. - (AP): The singer known for "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That A Shame" has been missing since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

His agent says Fats Domino planned to ride out the storm at his house in a low-lying area of the city with his wife and daughter.

Al Embry says he spoke with Domino Sunday night by phone, but hasn't been able to contact him since. Embry says he would think Domino is safe because "somebody said he was on top of the balcony."

Domino is 77 and has rarely appeared in public in recent years.

12:43 P.M. - Kim Nunemaker, St. Bernard Ave. Specialty Hospice: 26 bed-ridden patients and 40 staff members have to evacuate from the building. They need assistance moving these patients down several flights of stairs because the elevator is broken. Anyone who can help is asked to come to 3700 St. Charles Avenue immediately.

The generator powering the building is on the verge of running out of fuel.

Nunemaker said it was raining outside and there were some strong winds.

Catherine Sweisgood, a co-worker, said they need to get the people out of there before dark. The patients need to be brought to Touro so they can be airlifted out of harms way.

12:38 P.M. - (AP): Two French Quarter hotels says federal officials have foiled their plans to hire buses to ferry guests to higher ground.

The general manager of the Astor Hotel at Astor Crowne Plaza says the hotels teamed to hire ten buses to carry some 500 guests.

But Peter Ambros says federal officials commandeered the buses, and told the guests to join thousands of other evacuees at the New Orleans convention center.

One man says he and others had paid $45 a seat for the buses, and that they were "totally stunned" when the buses never arrived. Another woman said the crowd had waited 14 hours for the buses. She says the idea of walking to the convention center scared her because of reports of looting.

The woman says it appears Louisiana officials have forgotten about tourists, and are just intent on getting their own residents out.

12:30 P.M. - WWL-TV: Charity Hospital is almost finished evacuating all their patients. Minimal food and water remains.

12:28 P.M. - (AP): Dozens of post offices were closed and mail service was suspended in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. But officials said they are working to get mail to people. Click here.

12:15 P.M. - Gov. Blanco's press conference has been postponed until 1 p.m.

12:13 P.M. - Information for employees of the Orleans Parish Public School System: Payroll records unattainable at this time, according to school officials, though employees will be able to keep their health insurance, even those who were recently laid off. Employees are asked to call 1-877-771-5800 and leave their contact information.

12:11 P.M. - (New York Times): The NBA may move the Hornets out of New Orleans for the entire season. Click here.

12:07 P.M. - WWL-TV's Brad Panovich: Mother Nature reclaimed the Mississippi River delta. If she wants to move the delta, or move the city for that matter, then she will.

12:05 P.M. - (AP): Twenty-seven young patients from a hospital in New Orleans are in Kansas City. They were flown in last night on two Missouri Air National Guard transport planes.

Children's Mercy Hospital of Kansas City agreed to take the patients after sending a team to New Orleans to arrange the transfer from that city's Children's Hospital.

A spokesman for the Kansas City hospital said the New Orleans facility called yesterday asking for accommodations as quickly as possible.

A spokesman at the Kansas hospital says medical officials wanted to get the kids "to someplace safe and dry, away from the chaos." The patients range in age from a few months to 20 years, and were hospitalized for everything from asthma to leukemia. Their conditions range from fair to critical.

12:02 P.M. - (AP): The federal court system in New Orleans needs a new place to set up shop.

The courts are closed indefinitely.

And a federal judiciary spokesman says Congress must pass emergency legislation when it returns after Labor Day to let the system move to an alternate location.

Federal law doesn't let U.S. District courts hold proceedings outside their geographic area.

But the Speedy Trial Act says criminal cases must be handled quickly, so New Orleans will need a new locale to deal with cases.

11:58 A.M. - SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah's religious congregations are working with national relief organizations to help ship relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finished loading the last of fourteen trucks headed for the area yesterday. Pallets of sleeping bags, tents and other relief supplies were transferred from the Mormon church's central storehouse to trucks headed to Louisiana and Mississippi.Church spokesman Dale Bills says several LDS church buildings in the area are being used as emergency shelters, as well.

11:44 A.M. - St. Bernard Parish official Walter Leger - thousands still trapped in St. Bernard. Thousands more are staying on the levee and are being taken by ferry to Algiers.

11:42 A.M. - Leger: For friends and family of people in St. Bernard - help is on the way.

11:42 A.M. - Leger: "We will rebuild."

11:41 A.M. - St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis: There is no gasoline in St. Tammany Parish. If you enter, you will be stranded if you run out of fuel. Do not attempt to cross St. Tammany to reach any areas on the south shore. ALL bridges are closed. Most have severe structural damage or are closed indefinitely for safety reasons. THERE IS NO ACCESS TO NEW ORLEANS OR ITS IMMEDIATE SUBURBS FROM ST. TAMMANY PARISH.

11:31 A.M. - (AP) BURBANK, Calif. -- A shaken and emotional Ellen DeGeneres says her 82-year-old aunt had to quickly evacuate her home in Pass Christian, Mississippi, as Hurricane Katrina headed toward the Gulf Coast.

DeGeneres, who was born in Metairie, says her childhood was filled with weekends at her aunt Helen Currie's home in Mississippi, just over the state line from New Orleans. DeGeneres told A-P Radio yesterday that her aunt lost everything.

11:26 A.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush will tour the hurricane devastated Gulf Coast region on Friday and has asked his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former President Clinton to lead a private fund-raising campaign for victims, the White House said Thursday.

11:23 A.M. - (AP) Outside the New Orleans Convention Center, survivors are growing more frustrated with the lack of help after Hurricane Katrina.

One man says, "No one has thought enough of us to even bring us a cup of water."

Daniel Edwards says many people have gone days without food or water. He says tens of thousands of people are standing on the streets with no sign of emergency workers.

Several bodies lie scattered around. Edwards pointed to an elderly lady dead in a wheelchair and said, "I don't treat my dog like that." He says he buried his dog.

11:21 A.M. - (AP) Desperation continues mixing with random lawlessness inside some New Orleans stores.

The looting goes on, even after the city pulled some police officers off relief duty and ordered them to go after people who are ransacking shelves.

One woman was sobbing uncontrollably as she loaded children's clothing and snack food into bags to take to her kids in a shelter.

Another man approached a reporter with an armful of toothpaste and deodorant and said he was only taking personal hygiene products -- and not anything he could "get drunk or high with."

A woman on a bike played it safe -- riding up to a drug store and asking others if any arrests were being made. When she was told no, she said she's diabetic and needed to find test strips.

11:13 A.M. - WHITE HOUSE (AP) -- President Bush says while Nine-Eleven was a man-made attack and Hurricane Katrina natural, their aftermath is "just as serious."

Bush tells ABC "New Orleans is more devastated than New York was." But, he promises the city will rise again.

He says seeing the destruction from Air Force One was emotional. Bush plans to tour devastated areas tomorrow.

10:52 A.M. - Slidell Mayor Ben Morris said 15,000 people are now without a home in his city. Morris said incidents of looting have occurred.

10:48 A.M. - Davis: Schools will not open until at least October 1.

10:47 A.M. - Davis: Looting still prevelant.

10:46 A.M. - Davis: A couple thousand people still in shelters. More shelters may open up as times goes on.

10:45 A.M. - Davis: Water, food and ice available at the Target parking lot on Highway 21 in Covington, and the old Wal-Mart on Gause Blvd. in Slidell.

10:41 A.M. - Kevin Davis, St. Tammany Parish President: Cleco has 1,400 crew members working to establish power in some areas of the parish. Davis said he needs between 15,000 and 40,000 temporary housing units.

10:34 A.M. - Hoss: Stories of armed, roving gangs going around town looting every business they come across have been overexaggerated by the national media.

10:26 A.M. - Hoss: What's frightening is that city leaders cannot give a concrete answer regarding the time it will take to rescue people from their roofs and get them to safety.

10:24 A.M. - Hoss: Those rescued didn't care where they were going. They were happy to be off their roofs, with food to eat.

10:14 A.M. - Hoss: "It was very surreal" - on describing the looting. People were relying on word of mouth to get information. People were still walking to the Superdome even after the dome had already begun evacuating.

10:10 A.M. - Michael Deroche, Terrebonne Parish E.O.C.: Utility companies working to restore power in the area, and the first people had their electricity turned on last night. Asks patience from those who fled who want to come back to town.

150 residents still in shelters in the parish. More than a thousand Orleans Parish refugees in Terrebonne, but they can’t take many more, unless the National Guard sends troops to provide security.

No reports of flooding.

“People have been very generous and helping. Our civic organizations are stepping up,” he said.

Deroche said public and private schools will open Tuesday.

10:05 A.M. - WWL-TV's Mike Hoss: The camera cannot truly capture what transpired in New Orleans. "You have no idea how bad it is," he said.

10:01 A.M. - (AP) -- The military plans to increase the number of National Guard troops on duty in Louisiana and Mississippi from a combined 7,400 to about 18,100, the senior commander in charge of military relief and rescue efforts said Thursday.

9:45 A.M. - Dave Matthews Band is expected to announce a concert today benefitting the hurricane victims.

9:36 A.M. - NEW YORK (AP): Harry Connick Jr., who grew up in New Orleans, says the city will rebuild and that its residents are "freakishly strong."

In an interview today on NBC's "Today" show, Connick compared the rejuvenating spirit of New Yorkers after the September 11 terror attacks to those in the hurricane-ravaged city.

Connick was born and raised in New Orleans, developing his music in jazz bands and at clubs in the French Quarter. His father, Harry Connick Senior, served as district attorney of Orleans Parish for 29 years before retiring in 2003.

He will join a televised fund-raiser, "A Concert for Hurricane Relief," tomorrow on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC at 7 p.m. that also will include performances by Wynton Marsalis and Tim McGraw.

In a posting on his Web site, Connick said he knew his immediate family was safe, but hadn't yet heard from other family and friends.

9:20 A.M. - President Bush will tour the devastated areas Friday.

9:15 A.M. - Gordon Burgess, Tangipahoa President: Some electrical power throughout the parish…North Oaks Hospital is operating, part of Pontchatula is working, but Amite has no power…No loss of life due to the storm…Advises residents to stay out of the parish to allow all relief effort to go unimpeded...A curfew is established.

8:53 A.M. - (AP): Companies move to give millions in relief.

WHAT'S BEING OFFERED

-- Companies are donating money and goods for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

-- American Red Cross says at least 30 companies had made donations by Wednesday morning.

-- The number is expected to climb.

-- U.S. Chamber of Commerce says initial corporate donations could total more than $100 million.

SOME MONETARY DONATIONS

-- Chevron: $5 million.

-- JPMorgan Chase: $3 million.

-- Citigroup: $3 million.

-- Walt Disney Co.: $2.5 million.

-- Pfizer: $2 million.

-- Abbott Laboratories: $2 million.

-- State Farm: $1 million.

-- EDS: Will match employee contributions up to $1 million.

HEALTH CARE DONATIONS

-- Eli Lilly: 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin.

-- Wyeth: antibiotics and nonprescription pain relievers.

-- Merck: antibiotics and hepatitis A vaccines.

-- Johnson & Johnson: Pain relievers, wound care supplies and kits containing toothbrushes, soap and shampoo.

-- Abbott Laboratories: At least $2 million in nutritional and medical products.

SOME OTHER DONATIONS

-- Nissan: 50 trucks for Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

-- General Motors: 25 cars and trucks to the Red Cross.

-- Sprint Nextel: 3,000 walkie talkie-type phones for emergency personnel.

-- Qwest Communications: 2,000 long-distance calling cards.

-- Kellogg: Seven truckloads of crackers and cookies.

-- Culligan International: Five truckloads of water.

-- Anheuser-Busch: more than 825,000 cans of water.

-- Office Depot: Contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million.

8:50 A.M. - (AP): -- The world is reacting to America's disaster. Saudi Arabia says it's ready to increase crude oil production to replace market shortages. Venezuela is offering humanitarian aid and fuel. Canada's Red Cross is assembling volunteers. French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent messages of sympathy to President Bush.

Pope Benedict says he's praying for victims of the "tragic" hurricane while China's President Hu Jintao expressed his belief that the American people would "rebuild their beautiful homeland."

But not all responses were positive. Islamic extremists are rejoicing. Internet chatter referred to the storm as "Private" Katrina, and said it had joined the global holy war against the U.S.

8:40 A.M - WWL-TV: The Wisconsin National Guard will provide 500 troops to New Orleans.

8:33 A.M. - New Orleans Police officer Jarrod Mayberry said he and his brother, Jerry, left town because of the lack of communication and leadership from their commanding officers.

Jamal Mayberry said looters are breaking into people’s houses.

“The city should have been better prepared,” Jamal said.

Jamal said he will move his family to Texas as a result of this disaster.

8:13 A.M. - Mike Madison, CEO Cleco: It's going to be weeks, and for some, months in getting the power back to the Northshore.

8:01 A.M. - St. Tammany spokesperson: All routes from the Northshore to Metairie and New Orleans are closed. People are trying to get to those areas through the Northshore and are running out of fuel.

7:46 A.M. - St. Tammany spokesperson: No emergency worker or parish official or law enforcement official was hurt during the storm.

7:45 A.M. - St. Tammany spokesperson: People trying to return are getting stuck in parish because there is no fuel to get out.

7:44 A.M. - St. Tammany spokesperson: Every building in Madisonville had water inside.

7:37 A.M. - (AP) The evacuation of the Superdome was suspended Thursday after shots were fired at a military helicopter, an ambulance official overseeing the operation said. No immediate injuries were reported.

"We have suspended operations until they gain control of the Superdome," said Richard Zeuschlag, head of Acadian Ambulance, which was handling the evacuation of sick and injured people from the Superdome.

He said that military would not fly out of the Superdome either because of the gunfire and that the National Guard told him that it was sending 100 military police officers to gain control.

"That's not enough," Zeuschlag. "We need a thousand."

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

7:00 A.M. - "For the next two or three months, in this area, there will not be any commerce, at all. No electricity, no restaurants. This is the real deal. It's not living conditions." -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

6:17 A.M. - (AP) - Responding to reports of widespread looting, the president says there should be "zero-tolerance" for lawbreakers during the disaster. Bush says he's told law officials to move against anyone who engages in looting, price-gouging, insurance fraud or any other crime to take advantage of the situation.

6:15 A.M. - (AP) Managers at the Covenant Home nursing center were prepared to cope with power outages and supply shortages following Hurricane Katrina. They weren't ready for looters. The nursing home lost its bus after the driver surrendered it to carjackers. Groups of people then drove by the center, shouting to residents, "Get out!"

On Wednesday, 80 residents, most of them in wheelchairs, were evacuated to other nursing homes in the state.

"We had excellent plans. We had enough food for 10 days," said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. "Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot."

6:12 A.M. (AP) - WASHINGTON -- President Bush says he understands the frustration of people wanting help along the Gulf Coast and promises "the most massive federal relief effort ever."

6:03 A.M. (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Americans are now refugees. Some say they'll return to the homes they abandoned because of Hurricane Katrina, but others are calling it a day.

One New Orleans man sheltering in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, says "We got nothing."

A poker dealer from Biloxi says it's "just awful" and that she wants to get out of Southern Mississippi, where she's stranded.

Shonna Riggs says her forced exodus to Texas from a small town in Louisiana has been "very expensive" and she's not "used to the hustle and bustle" of Houston.

Another Louisiana woman staying in Houston says, "We're all a mess." Hoanne Hobson says she doesn't know what to do next.

5:55 A.M. - State of Louisiana Military Department: The Governor's office has requested the use of school busses from Louisiana schools to help with the evacuation of New Orleans, please advise your viewers to check with their local school systems in regards to closures today.

5:33 A.M. - (AP) -Service station manager Randy Schuette is getting quite a workout changing the gasoline prices on his station's large sign.

"I bet I'm not done, either," he said Wednesday, hoisting price placards with a 20-foot pole at his station in Bismarck, N.D. At one point, he ran out of decimals, so a gallon's cost read $317.

"I don't have any three's with decimal points," he said. "Never needed them. I'm assuming people know that it's not $317 a gallon, but the day's not over yet, either."

Price hikes were evident at stations nationwide Wednesday as gasoline costs breached $3 a gallon in numerous states, the result of fuel pipeline shutdowns and delayed deliveries since Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this week.

Gas prices jumped by more than 50 cents a gallon Wednesday in Ohio, 40 cents in Georgia and 30 cents in Maine. The increases followed price spikes on wholesale and futures markets Tuesday after the hurricane knocked off-line refineries and pipeline links along the Gulf Coast that provide about a third of the country's gasoline supplies.

2:20 A.M. - AP: Four more buses have arrived in Houston with Superdome refugees.

1:11 A.M. - AP: The weary, disheartened residents of the sweltering Superdome began making their way to Houston's Astrodome on Wednesday, with the first group of about 50 arriving about 12:30 a.m. CDT Thursday.

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said the 40-year-old Astrodome is "not suited well" for such a large crowd long-term, but officials are prepared to house the displaced New Orleanians as long as possible.

"This is a city of 20,000 people that is going to be here for a while," Eckels said. "The Dome will be fine for a few days. It could even go for weeks for some of these folks."

1:08 A.M. - AP: Late Wednesday, Tenet Healthcare Corp. asked Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard to help evacuate one of its hospitals in Gretna after a supply truck carrying food, water, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals was held up by gunmen.

"We have to close it down because we can no longer ensure the safety of our patients or our staff in that hospital," Tenet spokesman Steven Campanini said of the 203-bed Meadowcrest Hospital.

He said there were about 350 employees and between 125 to 150 patients inside the hospital, which is not flooded and is functioning.

1:06 A.M. - CNN: Officials are confirming that the second Orleans Parish school bus to arrive at Houston's Astrodome was another "renegade bus" and not from the Superdome. The Astrodome will take in refugees from all three buses.

12:38 A.M. - CNN: Two more buses have arrived at Houston's Astrodome. One of the buses, an Sierra Trailways tour bus, has been confirmed by Harris County officials as part of the official caravan from the Superdome. Officials were not able to confirm the status of the other, an Orleans Parish School Bus.

12:35 A.M. - AP: Harris County judge Robert Eckels said that the bus was driven by a young person who found it in New Orleans, picked up a bunch of others and drove it to Houston.

THURSDAY 12:29 A.M. - CNN: A Harris County judge is now describing an Orleans Parish bus that arrived at Houston's Astrodome late Wednesday night as a "renegade" bus, CNN reports. Astrodome officials were not expecting a caravan of Greyhound buses carrying Superdome evacuees until Thursday

9:17 P.M. - E-mail report from viewer Jorge Bravo: My good friend, Mark Ottman, from Berkeley, CA, has been staying at the Fairmont since Friday. I haven't been able to get through to him today, but I did speak to him last night, using the main hotel phone number. He told me that were guests still trapped there, staff, and even families of staff, who have moved into the hotel. He estimated about 1000 people there, with a lot of people camped out in the halls. There's no plumbing, no electricity, no water, and no food. As of last night there was a couple of feet of water on Baronne St.; I suspect it got higher today. I was able to reach the hotel operator again today, but not my friend. The operator said that as of early this afternoon there hadn't been any evacuations. Hope this info helps. I would be grateful for any info you might have.

9:15 P.M. - Entergy - Can't begin to assess damage or work on damage until water goes down. In some areas, power could be back 2-4 weeks, other areas 2-3 months.

9:13 P.M. - Entergy - 9,000 line workers on the way to metro New Orleans area.

9:11 P.M. - Cleco says it believes a tornado struck Eden Isles.

8:44 P.M. - BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco bristled at suggestions Louisiana perhaps didn't make enough preparations for a devastating hurricane, possibly worsening the devastation.

"We begged all of those people, the mayors begged those people, the parish presidents begged those people to get out," she said at a press briefing when questioned about the state's preparedness efforts.

8:41 P.M. - BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- More than 7,600 prisoners had to be moved from jails in the New Orleans area because of flooding and unsanitary conditions caused by Hurricane Katrina -- prompting such widespread rumors of riots and jail breaks that Corrections Secretary Richard Stalder focused Wednesday on setting the story straight during a briefing with reporters.

"We cannot find any credible intelligence that the kinds of things that had been reported have happened," he said.

8:39 P.M. - EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- A Madison County, Illinois, prosecutor is leaving this week for the Gulf Coast to offer assistance to some lower profile hurricane victims -- family pets.

Amy Maher is a coordinator for a national organization called Noah's Wish, which works to save as many pets as possible during such catastrophes.

More than a hundred Noah's Wish volunteers are expected to arrive in Louisiana tomorrow.

Various Louisiana animal welfare groups are managing animal evacuations and recovery plans for New Orleans pets and displaced animals.

The Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association is currently accepting pets at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, LSU in Shreveport, the Monroe Civic Center for small animals and the Ike Hamilton Center for large animals in Monroe.

Pets are also being accepted at the Farmer's Market in Alexandria, and the LSU Agriculture Center at Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge.

8:37 P.M. - BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- It's an engineering problem that hasn't been solved: How do you plug a broken floodwall and drain a city that is submerged in water in many areas? Officials acknowledge plans to "unwater New Orleans" have failed, have been redrawn and are continuing to evolve.

The first was to use helicopters to drop hefty sandbags and giant concrete barriers to plug the hole in the floodwall of a canal which usually drains water from New Orleans and Jefferson Parish.

Crews had already moved in the 250 concrete walls and hundreds of sandbags when the problems cropped up. Transportation and engineering officials questioned whether the original structure was sound enough to hold against the pressure from the water.

So, they tweaked the plans and were working to hire a contractor to drive steel, sheet metal pilings down across the canal to stop water in the lake from moving into the canal before it ever got to the floodwall.

That still was difficult. The pilings need to go down beyond 30 feet to fully block the flow of water, according to Michael B. Rogers, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In the meantime, the corps was planning to punch deliberate breaches into the levee system along Lake Pontchartrain, moving from east to west, cutting notches that would let the water flow back out of New Orleans and into the lake, Rogers said. "People are in the air right now locating the best places to do that," Rogers said Wednesday.

7:53 P.M. - Cleco estimates one month minimum to get power back to all customers.

7:52 P.M. - State school superintendent asks other districts around the state to take in schoolchildren displaced by the storms. The latest update on Louisiana schools from the state Department of Education.

7:32 P.M. - N.O. Mayor Ray Nagin declares Martial law in the city and directs the city's 1,500-person police force to do "whatever it takes" to gain back control of the city. He will also enlist the aid of troops.

7:20 P.M. - Pharmaceutical companies rounded up much-needed medicine, water suppliers loaded trucks with thirst-quenching cargo and companies from petroleum giants to beer makers pitched in millions in cash and products Wednesday to help communities battered by Hurricane Katrina.

The efforts to collect money and goods to help the Gulf Coast rebuild gathered momentum Wednesday as officials continued assessing the damage from one of the nation's worst natural disasters.

American Red Cross spokeswoman Sarah Marchetti said at least 30 companies had made donations by Wednesday morning, and the number was expected to climb.

"They've been pouring in," she said.

In Indianapolis, drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. prepared to send 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin to patients in the Southeast, along with at least $1 million in cash to the American Red Cross.

"We're poised to ship as soon as we get the OK," Lilly spokesman Edward Sagebiel said.

7:17 P.M. - Cleco says it's likely that a tornado touched down in Eden Isles.

7:12 P.M. - (AP) -- New Orleans Mayor Ray says he's not taking any criticism from people stranded in New Orleans personally.

Nagin says he understands the city's residents are frustrated, hot, angry and in a state of shock.

But Nagin insists he wants everyone out of the Superdome by tomorrow (Thursday) because they have been stretched to the breaking point and he can't stand to see them in that condition any longer.

7:11 P.M. Governor Blanco on looting: We will do what it takes to bring law and order to our area. This is not a place for that behavior. I'm furious. It's intolerable.

7:05 P.M. Click for 7 p.m. Northshore update.

5:43 P.M. - WWL-TV: An Army Corps of Engineers spokesman said they are beginning to drop sandbags and into the levee breach, and will drive metal sheet pilings to seal off the canal in order to fully repair the breach.

5:40 P.M. - WWL-TV: Walter Maestri voiced his concern that relief isn't coming fast enough for the evacuees.

5:32 P.M. - WWL-TV: 10 to 15 feet of water still in some areas. The river levee was damaged, eroded during the storm.

5:26 P.M. - (AP) Health and Human Services Department declares a public health emergency, sends medical supplies, hospital beds and public health officers.

5:23 P.M. - (AP) If Mayor Nagin's estimate that thousands perished under Hurricane Katrina is true, this would be the nation's deadliest natural disaster since at least the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

5:20 P.M. - Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti said temporary prison and court rooms will be built in order to maintain the justice system in the area.

5:17 P.M. - Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimate it will be weeks before all the water that flowed into the city through breached levees can be pumped back out. After that, it will take several years -- and many billions of dollars -- to rebuild homes, offices, streets and highways. Click here.

5:10 P.M. - AUSTIN, TX (AP): Texas public schools will enroll children of Hurricane Katrina refugees sheltered within each district.

The Texas Education Agency has been directed to provide all needed support for districts having to absorb children from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. TEA has said the refugee children can qualify as "homeless" and may enroll without proof of residence.

Also, normal immunization requirements for attending school or child-care facilities in Texas will be temporarily waived for children displaced by the hurricane. Schools are allowed to waive the 22-to-one teacher-student requirement.

Districts with an influx of 50 or more students can get an immediate funding increase, rather than waiting until the end of the school year.

Austin schools are working to ensure the students get backpacks, school supplies and clothes.

5:08 P.M. - (AP): President Bush is warning Americans about the nation's gasoline supply, saying everyone must understand that Hurricane Katrina has had a significant effect.

5:06 P.M. - Plans are in place to begin fixing the broken levee system beginning tomorrow.

5:04 P.M. - Officials are asking anyone with a boat that wants to help with rescue operations to call 225-765-2706.

4:59 P.M. - Because of the evacuation of Orleans Parish prisons and jails, capacity of state prisons has increased 72%. Law enforcement officials said any stories of a massive breakout of Orleans Parish Prison were inaccurate. The prisoners were moved to a nearby on-ramp by guards and were transported to other facilities in the state.

4:50 P.M. - Gov. Blanco: "I want to thank (Texas Governor) Rick Perry (for allowing evacuees to be moved to the Houston Astrodome)." The Governor referred to New Orleans as a "primative site." Blanco said her goal is to save as many people as possible, but had sharp remarks for those who have taken part in any looting going on in the affected areas. "We are going to restore law and order," she said. "We will do whatever it takes."

"Addresses mean nothing at point, because street signs are underwater." - Blanco on the abilities of rescue workers to locate those in trouble, based on specific addresses sent in to emergency operators by family members.

4:38 P.M. - (AP): Some major airlines are canceling flights to New Orleans and Gulfport, Mississippi, until at least next week. The move heats up the financial pressure on the air industry, cutting off two major destinations at the end of the summer tourism season.

4:30 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP): An additional 10,000 National Guard troops from across the country began pouring into the Gulf Coast region Wednesday, adding new soldiers and airmen to shore up security, rescue and relief operations in the region ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The new units brought the number of troops dedicated to the effort to more than 28,000, in what may be the largest military response to a national disaster.

About one-third of the 21,000 National Guard troops -- who were descending on the Gulf Coast from across the country -- will be used for security, to prevent looting, enforce curfews and enhance local law and order, said Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, commander of U.S. National Guard forces.

4:16 P.M. - President Bush: Recovery "will take years" from the storm that laid waste to the Gulf Coast.

4:15 P.M. - President Bush: 78,000 people are in shelters.

4:12 P.M. - President Bush: We are witnessing one of the worst natural disasters in our history.

Bush: This recovery will take years.

Bush: FIrst priority to save lives. Second to supply food for survivors, rescue workers and other citizens.

4:11 P.M. - BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) -- The scenes of devastation from the Gulf Coast are all too familiar to survivors of the December tsunami in Asia.

A World Bank executive in Sri Lanka says she prays and hopes not many women in the U.S. will suffer as she has. She lost her brother in the December 26 tsunami that raked over Asian nations. She and others have strong memories of the event when they see the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina.

An Indonesian man who lost his wife the tsunami says he would like to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, but all he has is prayers.

Another man, who lost his wife and daughter in December, says, "God has made us equals in birth, life and death."

Though damage from Katrina is enormous, the rising death count is far short of the 200-thousand dead or missing following the tsunami.

4:07 P.M. - LSU offers UNO, Tulane and Loyola students chance to enroll for school at the Baton Rouge campus to continue their learning, waiving most fees for those who have already paid other universities.

4:05 P.M. - LSU football game this weekend postponed due to the stadium area being used to bring in injured and take care of evacuees. Tulane at Southern Miss game postponed.

4:03 P.M. - (AP) Michael Leavitt, secretary of Health and Human Services, announced he had declared a public health emergency in the area stretching from Louisiana to Florida. "We are gravely concerned about the potential for cholera, typhoid and dehydrating diseases that could come as a result of the stagnant water and the conditions," he said.

Chertoff and Leavitt spoke at a news conference attended by an unusual array of department and agency heads, each of whom came equipped with a list of actions already taken by the administration.

For his part, Bush flew over the storm-affected area during the day on his way to Washington from his Texas ranch. With the administration eager to demonstrate a rapid responsiveness to the human tragedy, the president also arranged to make public remarks in the Rose Garden after returning to the White House.

3:55 P.M. - 40-year veteran photographer Willie Wilson: Maybe one other time in my career did I shoot pictures crying.

3:54 P.M. - Wilson: People were passing out in the heat in front of me.

3:52 P.M. - Chalmette man. I spent 40 hours on a roof then God sent a boat from a neighbor's house floating by and we took it to safety.

3:52 P.M. - (AP) Gov. Kathleen Blanco has said that she wants the Superdome evacuated within two days because the situation has been worsening there. The water has been rising, the air conditioning was out and toilets were broken.

3:50 P.M. - Crying woman: "I'll never stay for a hurricane again."

3:49 P.M. - Survivor from Chalmette: We spent two days on a roof, swam to a storefront, food was pouring out, we ate it, we drank the water. We had to do something. There's no help.

3:48 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- From Navy ships and Army helicopters to the USNS Comfort hospital ship, the Pentagon is mobilizing possibly an unprecedented U.S. rescue-and-relief mission for areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

3:47 P.M. - Man rescued after spending night on Chalmette High School roof for two days: "It's all gone."

3:46 P.M. - Tugboat captain: We have so little help. Send us some food and water immediately!

3:45 P.M. (AP) - Hurricane Katrina probably killed thousands of people in New Orleans, the mayor said Wednesday -- an estimate that, if accurate, would make the storm the nation's deadliest natural disaster since at least the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

"We know there is a significant number of dead bodies in the water," and other people dead in attics, Mayor Ray Nagin said. Asked how many, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."

The frightening estimate came as Army engineers struggled to plug New Orleans' breached levees with giant sandbags and concrete barriers, while authorities drew up plans to clear out the tens of thousands of people left in the Big Easy and all but abandon the flooded-out city. Many of the evacuees -- including thousands now staying in the Superdome -- will be moved to the Astrodome in Houston, 350 miles away.

3:44 P.M. - Tugboat captain who rescued those in Chalmette. "Without more help, many people will die."

3:43 P.M. - Photographer Willie Wilson: Those rescued from Chalmette homes are dazed, don't know where they are going and just asking for water and to find family members.

3:42 P.M. - Wilson: You can't fathom it. I've covered tragedies around the world, never thought it would be here.

3:41 P.M. - (AP) -- With law officers and National Guardsmen focused on saving lives, looters around the city spent another day Wednesday brazenly ransacking stores for food, beer, clothing, appliances -- and guns.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.

"Once we get the 3,000 National Guardsmen here, we're locking this place down," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "It's really difficult because my opinion of the looting is it started with people running out of food, and you can't really argue with that too much. Then it escalated to this kind of mass chaos where people are taking electronic stuff and all that."

Amid the chaos Wednesday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a pharmacy. The crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.

Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

3:40 P.M. - WWL photographer Willie Wilson: People being rescued from Chalmette were begging for water, wanted to talk to family members. People rescued in Chalmette were ferried across to Algiers. People hot and parched from days on roof tops.

3:38 P.M. - HOUSTON (AP) -- Red Cross workers today began transforming what was once known as the Eighth Wonder of the World -- into temporary housing.

Buses will shuttle thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees from the Superdome in New Orleans to the vacant Astrodome in Houston.

Cots and blankets for up to 25-thousand people are being set up on the Astrodome floor.

Other areas of the stadium are being configured to accommodate refugees with varying needs, including a nursery. Stadium managers are working to get T-V's and find programming to allow people to keep up with the latest news about flooded New Orleans.

The Astrodome agreement was worked out by Texas Governor Rick Perry and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco.

3:35 P.M. - Truong - Large parts of oak trees down on St. Charles Avenue near Audubon Park.

3:33 P.M. - (AP) -- The latest video from New Orleans shows apartment buildings with people crowded on balconies and roofs. Below, flood waters lap at the second floor. Two children standing on one roof held up a sign that read: "Help us."

A Blackhawk helicopter crew rescued at least eight people from a roof where, in red spray paint, was written the words "Diabetic, Heart Transplant, Need transportation."

Two-by-two, the chopper hoisted the people off the roof as the wash from its rotors blew shingles off another section of the building and caused small waves in the water below.

Other shots show people standing at windows and on balconies, some waving white towels to attract the attention of possible rescuers.

The flood waters cover everything as far as the eye can see.

In the bright sunlight, there's a sheen caused by gasoline seeping from the underground tanks of a gas station. Three people who were standing in the bed of a flooded pickup truck later waded and swam through those waters, trying to reach safety.

3:25 P.M. - Truong: A man said he was carjacked at gunpoint. Other residents of the Uptown-area say they are afraid to leave their homes because of the lack of security.

3:18 P.M. - WWL-TV's Thanh Truong reports the water from the Lake is rising to meet with the River in Uptown.

3:10 P.M. - (AP) President Bush flew overhead in Air Force One to assess the damage in Southeast Louisana and the Gulfport-area of Mississippi. Click here.

3:04 P.M. - Congressman William Jefferson said BET will host a telethon to raise money for the flood victims. The telethon will be Friday, September 9.

3:01 P.M. - The latest video from New Orleans shows apartment buildings with people crowded on balconies and roofs. Below, flood waters lap at the second floor. Two children standing on one roof held up a sign that read: "Help us." Click here.

2:45 P.M. - WWL-TV's Bill Capo reports traffic moving west out of New Orleans is moving slowly but steadily. He said the Baton Rouge Airport is being used as a launchpad for Black Hawk army helicopters and Coast Guard helicopters. At one point during the trip, Capo said the helicopter pilot had to execute an emergency landing at a truck stop parking lot in order to check for mechanical problems.

2:20 P.M. - From Weezie Porter: WWL-TV Sales account executive. I evacuated with my family to Nashville. The people we are staying with have a relative in the Chateau Living Center in Kenner 716 Village Road. Their phone is working from time to time 504-464=0604. They report that all of the nurses have left, Only a few aides left there that have been working since Friday. They were supposed to be evacuated by bus but they did not show up. No medications have been given since Sunday,. 4 patients have died.

2:19 P.M. - (AP) More than 100 Tulane University students displaced by Hurricane Katrina arrived at Southern Methodist University Wednesday, including the entire football team.

2:04 P.M. - WAFB-TV video shows hundreds of people in the Uptown area near Claiborne and Napoleon, stuck in apartments and other buildings and waving for help. Helicopters are rescuing one or two at a time.

2:00 P.M. - Air Force One spotted

1:50 P.M. - Ross: Access limited to Oak Harbor and Eden Isles. Most homes are still standing, but have sustained either water or wind damage, or both.

1:45 P.M. - WWL-TV's Mike Ross says "do not come back (to Slidell and Grand Isle)."

1:39 P.M. - Hoss: Wind damage seen at the Target store on Clearview Pkwy.

1:28 P.M. - WWL-TV's Mike Hoss said the I-10/Causeway interchange has turned into a massive first aid station. 50 ambulances are stationed there, and those who need immediate medical attention are being kept there in tents. Black Hawk helicopters and other rescue copters are constantly ferrying evacuees in to the area.

1:20 P.M. - (AP) Mayor Ray Nagin says at least hundreds of people are dead -- maybe thousands -- in New Orleans. "We know there is a significant number of dead bodies in the water," and others dead in attics, Mayor Ray Nagin said. Asked how many, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."

1:12 P.M. - WWL-TV's Josh McElveen describes the stench coming from the bathrooms in the Superdome as horrific.

1:03 P.M. - Mayor Nagin: Medical ship on the way to New Orleans.

12:56 P.M. - Governor Blanco - Time is not on our side for stopping the levee break. There were two breaches, when we thought there was only one. Communicatiion, or lack of same caused the problem.

12:55 P.M. - MIAMI (AP) -- Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines says it is considering a federal request that the company use some of its cruise ships as emergency shelters or help in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in some other way.

12:53 P.M. - Governor Blanco - thousands still need to be rescued.

12:52 P.M. - Governor Blanco: We will rebuild.

12:51 P.M. - Governor Blanco: The magnitude of this is overwhelming.

12:15 P.M. - Army Corps: 1,200 sandbags that are 20,000 pounds each are being brought in to bridge gap...water level is no longer rising.

12:11 P.M. - Army Corps: Water has become level with the Lake in the city so no more water should flow into the city, except at high tide.

12:10 P.M. - Engineers and construction experts are at the 17th Street Canal. They've filled 100, 3,000 pound sandbags and are trying to drop the bags and concrete barriers into the area.

11:49 A.M. - (AP) AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas is opening its doors to hurricane refugees from neighboring Louisiana.

Texas Governor Rick Perry says he expects evacuees to start arriving within the next 24 hours at the Houston Astrodome. He says Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco asked him this morning if the Astrodome could house the 23-thousand people currently being sheltered at the Superdome in Louisiana, and he quickly agreed. He says even before the request, Texas officials had been talking about using the Astrodome as a long-term shelter for people already stranded in Texas because of the storm.

Perry says the hurricane survivors are welcome in Texas for "as long as they want to stay." Children who are sheltered at the Astrodome will be able to attend public schools in Houston. Perry says the Astrodome schedule has been cleared through December.

11:46 A.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal emergency officials are looking for two-thousand Homeland Security Department workers to volunteer for hurricane relief efforts. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has told Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff a-thousand people are needed within 48 hours and two-thousand within a week.

11:40 - (AP) Roving bands of looters are breaking into stores in Carrollton area to get food and supplies. They've also stolen guns and armed themselves.

11:33 A.M. - Director Walter Maestri: We have no food or water for the evacuees. Says emergency workers have seized the food and water and drinks from Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and other groceries for evacuees, but he said that is all gone. Says water supply is gone. More water expected, but its not there right now. Says evacuees are getting upset and harried.

11:32 A.M. - Director Walter Maestri: FEMA and national agencies not delivering the help nearly as fast as it is needed.

11:30 A.M. - Emergency Operations Director Walter Maestri: Evacuees from New Orleans and the east bank of Jefferson are flocking to the west bank, overwhelming the facilities.

10:58 A.M. - (AP) The New Orleans International Airport has reopened to allow humanitarian flights in and out, officials said Wednesday.

10:55 A.M. - (AP) The Dallas school district says it'll enroll in district schools the children of any Hurricane Katrina refugees that ask for it.

10:52 A.M. - (AP) Every branch of the U.S. military is involved in the rescue-and-relief mission following Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Northern Command is coordinating search and rescue, medical help and supplies. The work will support the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

10:14 A.M. - WWL-TV: Governor Blanco confirms plans to move evacuees to the Houston Astrodome. Blanco said she remains in contact with the White House, and has asked for a military presence in New Orleans, adding it was important to stabilize things as soon as possible. Buses are on their way to the Superdome to remove the evacuees.

10:06 A.M. - WWL-TV: Gas prices expected to rise by as much as $1.10 by this weekend.

10:00 A.M. - State Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley: People interested in checking up on their insurance can contact the Dept. of Insurance at 1-800-259-5300 or online at LDI.state.la.us. Nationwide damage estimates stand at $26 billion, and $17 to $19 billion in Louisiana alone.

9:51 A.M. - WWL-TV: No information available from Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes.

9:48 A.M. - WWL-TV: St. Charles Parish residents may return to their homes to grab personal items before leaving the area.

9:46 A.M. - CNN: Commercial flights coming out of New Orleans International Airport could resume in two months.

9:31 A.M. - WWL-TV: UNO campus surrounded by water.

9:30 A.M. - WWL-TV: Lakefront Airport is totally submerged.

9:22 A.M. - (AP) Looting broke out in some New Orleans neighborhoods today, prompting authorities to send more than 70 additional officers and an armed personnel carrier into the city.

Police say one officer was shot in the head by a looter yesterday, but is expected to recover.

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reports today that a Wal-Mart in the Lower Garden District was looted, and the entire gun collection was taken.

9:09 A.M. - (AP) VATICAN: Pope Benedict says he is praying for victims of Hurricane Katrina and urged rescue workers to persevere in bringing comfort to survivors.

9:04 A.M. - (AP) Plans are being put into place to transport evacuees from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome via a bus convoy.

8:41 A.M. - Gov. Blanco and Archbishop Hughes lead the State O.E.P. in prayer. "We look to (God) for our care," Hughes said. The Governor said monumental work lay ahead, and that a "higher power" was needed.

7:59 A.M. - Suzanne Parsons: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office - 2,186 in public shelters in St. Tammany and number is growing.

7:49 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Four Navy ships headed to New Orleans with food and water.

7:38 A.M. - CNN report...another attempt will be made to sandbag the 17th Street Canal.

7:24 A.M. - Slidell Mayor Ben Morris: Electricity is six to 12 weeks away.

7:06 A.M. - Governor Blanco wants the Superdome evacuated within two days.

6:57 A.M. - Governor Blanco: "Absolutely necessary" that the Army Corps of Engineers drop sandbags into the levee breach.

6:50 A.M. - Sen. Landrieu: The whole parish of St. Bernard is gone.

6:27 A.M. - (AP) Conditions in New Orleans hospitals deteriorate. Click for story.

6:22 A.M. - (AP) No time to count the dead as rescue efforts Click for story.

6:20 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Estimated 20,000 people in dome and they will be dispersed around the state to rescue centers being set up. Situation 'unteneable' in Superdome.

6:13 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Essential personnel will stay in city, but general public needs to go. Logistical nightmare to bring in food and water.

6:11 A.M. - Governor Blanco: We have found places around the state to house the refugees, we just need to get them out.

6:10 A.M. - (AP) -- Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says the Bush administration will release oil from petroleum reserves to help refiners affected by Hurricane Katrina.

5:55 A.M. GOVERNOR BLANCO: Stopping the looting is important, but saving lives a higher priority right now. Not sure where looters think they are taking the stuff since city may soon be under water.

12:17 A.M. - Emergency search and rescue phone lines for those in distress: (225) 925-7708 | (225) 925-7709 | (225) 925-3511 | (225) 925-7412

To inquire about those in the area who did not evacuate: American Red Cross, (866) 438-4636.

WEDNESDAY 12:12 A.M. - Info on parish and road access:

St. Charles: Only St. Charles parish residents can return to their homes. There is no power, low fuel and no food. If you must return home, please bring supplies with you. Hwy 90, I-10, Hwy 3127 and Airline are all open. However, there is water on Airline near the St. Charles/Jefferson Parish line.

Terrebonne: No road closures. Use Hwy 90 or the Sunshine Bridge.

Lafourche : As of 2 p.m. Monday, the curfew was lifted. Go directly to your homes. Hwy 1 is closed between Golden Meadow and Grande Isle.

St. James: Open to residents only.

St. John: Open to residents only. You need your ID.

Jefferson: You can return Monday with your ID. You will be allowed to collect your belongings and will not be allowed to return for a month.

Orleans: Closed. The Highrise is not safe to cross. Many parts of I-10 are flooded.

Plaqeumines: Closed.

St. Bernard: Closed.

St. Tammany: I-10 and the Twinspans are destroyed, but the Hwy 11 bridge is intact.

Washington: No information available. Lines are busy!

Tangiphoa: No information available. Lines are busy.

Other road information:

--Hwy 90 between Lafayette and St. Charles Parish line/Lafourche parish line is open.

--Hwy 308/Valentine, south of that area is closed.

--Hwy 3185 (Thibodeaux Bypass) is closed.

--La Bourg Larose Hwy is closed.

11:28 P.M. - (AP) LAFAYETTE, La. -- Parents who had to evacuate because of Hurricane Katrina will be able to register their children for school in Lafayette Parish starting tomorrow.

Burnell Lemoine, deputy superintendent and chief academic officer for the Lafayette Parish School System, says registration ends Thursday and parents will be contacted Friday to let them know what school their children should attend.

He says students should be in classes by Tuesday. The children will be assigned to current schools depending on where they are in homes or shelters.

9:23 P.M. - FEMA bringing 2,000 officials to town. Bringing in food, water, ice, tarps. Setting up offices where you can get grants and loans.

9:21 P.M. - (AP) One Mississippi county alone said its death toll was at least 100, and officials are "very, very worried that this is going to go a lot higher," said Joe Spraggins, civil defense director for Harrison County, home to Biloxi and Gulfport.

Thirty of the victims in the county were from a beachfront apartment building that collapsed under a 25-foot wall of water as Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast with 145-mph winds.

9:19 P.M. - Lt. Governor Landrieu: Asking hotels in neighboring states to extend stays of refugees and to give them first priority and to possibly offer discounts for extended stays.

9:18 P.M. - Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu: 3000 rescued to date. People taken from rooftops, attics and from water, clinging to inner tubes.

9:17 P.M. - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says hundreds, if not thousands, of people may still be stuck on roofs and in attics, and so rescue boats were bypassing the dead.

8:04 P.M. - Mayor Nagin: Unhappy that the helicopters slated to drop 3,000-pound bags into the levee never showed up to stop the flow of water. Too many chiefs calling shots he says.

7:59 P.M. - Mayor Nagin: Pumps at 17th street canal has failed and water will continue pouring into the city. Nine feet of water is expected on St. Charles Avenue that will be nine feet high. Water is expected to spread throughout the east bank of Orleans and possibly Jefferson Parish.

7:39 P.M. - WWL-TV's Karen Swensen - Algiers has downed trees and power lines but for the most part no water in homes. Some roof damage to some homes.

7:35 P.M. - Swensen: Camps on Highway 11 in Slidell are gone.

7:24 P.M. - John Marie of Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office: No one is allowed back into parish. Marshall law in effect. Forty-seven people were rescued by parish officials Monday and several dozen were rescued Tuesday.

7:22 P.M. - Marie: Belle Chasse suffered severe damage. South of Myrtle Grove completely under water. There are some, though unknown number, of dead bodies.

7:20 P.M. - Marie: Those rescued are airlifted to parish's highest point at the levee, dropped there with food and water and then the National Guard picks them up and sends them to the Belle Chasse auditorium. No looting reported.

6:41 P.M. - Efforts to stop the levee break at the 17th Street Canal have ended unsuccessfully and the water is expected to soon overwhelm the pumps in that area, allowing water to pour into the east bank of Metairie and Orleans to an expected height of 12-15 feet.

6:39 P.M. - JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Senator Trent Lott is urging President Bush to visit Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, telling the president -- quote -- "the people of Mississippi are flat on their backs. They're going to need your help."

6:05 P.M. - Thomas: Saw at least three dead bodies during his rescues. Whole families were among those rescued.

6:04 P.M. - Thomas: Most sobering moment - being told to leave the dead bodies, because there are people to rescue.

6:03 P.M. - N.O. Councilman Oliver Thomas: "What you see on TV, you have no idea what the level of devastation and frustration is on the street."

5:57 P.M. - Jeff Parish schools chief Dianne Roussel says two months is probably "optimistic" to get schools back and functioning.

5:49 P.M. - (AP) WASHINGTON -- The Navy is sending three ships to the Gulf Coast with water and other supplies for those hit by Hurricane Katrina, but officials are urging service members not to try to return to their military bases in New Orleans.

5:46 P.M. - Four confirmed dead in St. Tammany. One died in traffic accident, one died after he stayed and a tree fell and trapped him in his home. Two others died by unknown reasons.

4:42 P.M. - (AP) Electric companies from around the country are rushing crews to the hurricane-ravaged South. They will help restore power to an area so devastated that it could be weeks or even months before the lights come back on in many places. David Botkins, a spokesman for Dominion Virginia Power, says 200 workers are headed to Louisiana and Mississippi.

4:40 P.M. - (AP) State officials say they are working on plans to evaucate inmates from the Orleans Parish prison and the Jefferson Parish jail. Both facilities face a threat of flooding.

The state Corrections Department is trying to figure out how to transfer 4,000 inmates from the New Orleans jail and another 1,000 from the Jefferson Parish jail in Gretna.

The inmates would be moved to state prisons including the highest-security at Angola. Corrections spokesman Pam LaBorde says it's quite a logistical situation to accomplish.

4:23 P.M. - Jefferson Parish officials say schools could reopen two months after Labor Day.

4:21 P.M. - WWL-TV Reporter quotes officials as saying there may now be 60,000 people in the Superdome and that more people are still being urged to go there.

3:59 P.M. - WWL-TV reporter Jonathan Betz reports widespread looting and WWL-TV cameras showed people walking out of Canal Street stores with racks of clothes and electronics. Some looters concentrated on basics and supplies, while others made no secret of their desire to get what they could.

3:53 P.M. - N.O. Mayor Nagin: Priorities - 1. Rescuing people. 2. Fixing levee breaks. 3. Taking care of refugees in Superdome and hospitals.

3:43 P.M. - Senator Vitter: New Orleans will "absolutely" be rebuilt.

3:25 P.M. - With conditions in the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans rapidly deteriorating, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday that people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers need to be evacuated.

"The situation is untenable," Blanco said during a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."

3:15 P.M. - Charity Hospital is out of commission and they are trying to evacuate patients, but it is hard to get there because rising water is surrounding the hospital. They will try to evacuate the patients to other cities.

3:13 P.M. - Governor Blanco: A lot of people have lost their lives, but we have no numbers because the priority is saving those who are alive so we don't have more casualties.

3:12 P.M. - Senator Vitter: Mayor Nagin's calm and control and command of the facts showed me that we have one of the best leaders in the country right here.

3:12 P.M. - Senator Landrieu - Scenes are similar to what she saw after the Tsunami.

3:11 P.M. - Senator Landrieu: Those who evacuated should be patient and thank God that they are okay because so many still need to get out.

3:09 P.M. - Senator Landrieu: Plenty of people still on rooftops in N.O. East waiting to be rescued. Every boat available is being used to try to save people.

3:07 P.M. - Governor Blanco: We are looking for ways to get people out of the Superdome and out of New Orleans said Governor Blanco as she tried to keep from crying.

3:03 P.M. - Latest on Northshore from St. Tammany Parish. Click here.

2:42 P.M. (AP) -- The question is not whether Congress will pass legislation to speed disaster relief to communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but how soon and how much. The answers: real soon and a lot.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has $2.5 billion in funds available for immediate assistance such as emergency shelters, food, and medical care, said Scott Milburn, spokesman for the White House budget office. But longer-term assistance, such as help in removing wreckage, rebuilding homes, and repairing highways and federal facilities will require a major infusion of cash provided by Congress.

2:39 P.M. - Jeff Parish councilman Tom Capella says pumps working near Veterans and West Esplanade and water is receeding there. He says break in levee at 17th Street canal continues to pour water into Lakeview.

2:32 P.M. - LSU to begin classes next Tuesday.

2:30 P.M. - Coast Guard says it has rescued 1,200 people so far in Louisiana.

2:24 P.M. - (AP) -- Hurricane Katrina forced scores more flight cancellations involving New Orleans and other Southern cities Tuesday as airlines juggled their schedules around one of the worst storms on record.

2:09 P.M. - Video on WAFB-TV shows the Twin Spans between I-10 and Slidell broken in dozens of spots.

2:07 P.M. - (AP) -- A top casino executive is calling on the Mississippi Legislature to enact emergency legislation to keep the state's coast gaming industry alive.

Treasure Bay Casino President and CEO Bernie Burkholder says most of the casino hotels on the coast survived Hurricane Katrina, but several gambling barges suffered extensive damage. He says it could take several years to rebuild.

2:01 P.M. - Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard says there is no plumbing and the sanitary situation is getting nasty. He told WAFB-TV that he is carrying around a bag for his own human waste.

2:00 P.M. - Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi says "this is going to be the most expensive natural disaster that's hit the United States in history."

1:30 P.M. - --The American Red Cross says it has thousands of volunteers mobilized for the hurricane. Spokesman Bradley Hague said it's the "largest single mobilization that we've done for any single natural disaster." The organization has set up operational headquarters in Baton Rouge.

--The Environmental Protection Agency dispatched emergency crews to Louisiana and Texas because of concern about oil and chemical spills.

--The Coast Guard closed ports and waterways along the Gulf Coast and positioned craft around the area to conduct post-hurricane search and rescue operations.

--The Agriculture Department said its Food and Nutrition Service would provide meals and other commodities, such as infant formula, distilled water for babies and emergency food stamps.

--The Defense Department dispatched emergency coordinators to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi to provide communications equipment, search and rescue operations, medical teams and other emergency assistance.

--The Health and Human Services Department sent 38 doctors and nurses to Jackson, Mississippi, to be used where needed, and 30 pallets of medical supplies to the region, including first aid materials, sterile gloves and oxygen tanks.

Some six-thousand National Guard personnel from Louisiana and Mississippi who would otherwise be available to help deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are in Iraq.

Even so, Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs. He said about six-thousand-500 National Guard troops were available in Louisiana, about seven-thousand in Mississippi, nearly ten-thousand in Alabama and about eight-thousand-200 in Florida.

1:26 P.M. - Officials at LSU and local hospitals say they are triaging thousands of people being brought from outside the Baton Rouge area for medical care. The people are being bused in.

1:08 P.M. - "I'm very hopeful, with the devastation we've had, that the number (of deaths) will be much more reasonable than people think. There are not thousands of people floating around." -- Terry Ebbert, New Orleans' homeland security chief.

1:05 P.M. - (AP) -- With much of the city emptied by Hurricane Katrina, some opportunists took advantage of the situation by looting stores.

At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers. When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" -- the radio code for police -- and the crowd scattered.

Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores. One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store. "No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."

12:55 P.M. - N.O. Mayor Ray Nagin says rescue operations with boats are continuing.

12:50 P.M. - St. John Parish hospital closed at this time. Water working but must be boiled. Parish president Nickie Monica asks residents who have evacuated to stay out. Good News, no major structural damage. Monica says schools and offices closed until further notice. He asks that St. John Parish be made a priority to be used as a staging area for other parishes that suffered worse fates. 911 not working...EMERGENCIES IN ST. JOHN PARISH...1-985-652-6338, 1-985-536-2112...west bank 1-985-497-3321.

12:45 P.M. - Reports of looting in downtown New Orleans of drugstores. Reports people rushing out with grocery carts of food, soft drinks and diapers. Ripped open steel gates at some Canal Street stores taking clothing.

12:44 P.M. - (AP) The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port did NOT suffer major damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. And a port official says the flow of oil could resume within "a matter of hours" once its power supply is restored.

12:41 P.M. - Rescue efforts a priority. Clearing infrastructure to hospitals. Most streets blocked by pine trees. Slidell - A Hampton Inn on Old Spanish Trail with 20 feet. Fifteen feet of water downtown. One Slidell hospital had to be evacuated, the others are at maximum capacity.

11:58 A.M. - Homeland security chief optimistic that 3,000 pound sandbags can plug 200 foot levee break at 17th Street Canal.

11:55 A.M. - Super Wal-Mart in Kenner open for supplies.

11:54 A.M. - Kenner mayor asking for more National Guard. Asks anyone with the guard to call 468-7200.

11:53 A.M. - Two dead in Slidell in rising waters after attempting to get back to their homes. The victims had initially evacuated.

11:52 A.M. - Entergy reports 1.1 million outages in Mississippi and Louisiana.

11:50 A.M. JP Sheriff asking anyone with a boat to bring it to Sam's Parking lot on Airline and Cleary to help with evacuations.

11:46 A.M. - (AP) The president asked individual Americans to get involved with the relief effort, suggesting anyone who wishes to help could call 1-800-HELPNOW, log on to the Red Cross Web site or get in touch with the Salvation Army.

11:44 A.M. - LSU becoming a major staging area for injured and evacuees. Campus allowing families of students to house with them. Making facilities available as "community responsibility" according to Chancellor Sean O'Keefe.

11:43 A.M. - Councilman Byron Lee of Jefferson Parish, "This is not life as it used to be. It's like a war zone."

11:39 A.M. (AP) - National Guardsmen brought in people from outlying areas to the Superdome in the backs of big 2 1/2-ton Army trucks. Louisiana's wildlife enforcement department also brought people in on the backs of their pickups. Some were wet, some were in wheelchairs, some were holding babies and nothing else.

11:35 A.M. - (AP) Downtown streets that were relatively clear in the hours after the storm were filled with 1 to 1 1/2 feet of water Tuesday morning. Water was knee-deep around the Superdome. Canal Street was literally a canal. Water lapped at the edge of the French Quarter. Clumps of red ants floated in the gasoline-fouled waters downtown.

11:28 A.M. - JP Councilman Chris Roberts: Three rescued from Grand Isle, according to Grand Isle Mayor.

11:26 A.M. - New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper evacuating offices.

11:21 A.M. (AP) - The White House says President Bush is cutting short his vacation to return to Washington to monitor the hurricane recovery efforts.

11:16 A.M. - Gretna Police Chief...some people south of Gretna Blvd. trapped in water in homes, waiting to be rescued, but believed safe. Several looters arrested, chief says about 50. Lots of debris, at least some structural damage in 95 to 98 percent of buildings. Water is off in Gretna due to barge that was hit and dumped diesel into water supply. Plenty of homes with structural damage...a few that have collapsed. As far as police chief knows, No deaths in Gretna, two minor injuries. Chief says looting has been mainly for groceries. Law enforcement given "whatever authority they need" to prevent looting of homes.

11:15 A.M. - Hospitals with no power and rising waters are bringing patients to the Superdome.

11:13 A.M. - Plaquemines Parish...if you are found on the street...will be arrested. Marshall law in effect. 60 percent of homes flooded. 50 people rescued.

11:12 A.M. Governor Blanco, U.S. Senator Vitter - "Do Not come back Now" if you've evacuated.

11:06 A.M. Governor Blanco reports 700 people have been rescued since Monday afternoon, but that many more remain trapped.

11:01 A.M. - Break in 17th Street Canal Levee is now 200 feet wide and slowly flooding the City of New Orleans. Huge sand bags are being airlifted to try to stem the rush of water in that area.

10:53 A.M. - Latest on Northshore from St. Tammany Parish. Click here.

10:42 A.M. - Rising waters continue in N.O. due to failed pumps and breached levees at the 17th Street Canal and the Ninth Ward. Rising waters caused one hospital to evacuate patients to the Louisiana Superdome.

10:39 A.M. - Gretna officials say standing water is preventing them from getting to some people trapped in their homes. - Bill Capo.

10:37 A.M. GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) -- Rescuers in boats and helicopters searched for survivors of Hurricane Katrina and brought victims, wet and bedraggled, to shelters Tuesday as the extent of the damage across the Gulf Coast became ever clearer. The governor said the death toll in one Mississippi county alone could be as high as 80.

10:35 A.M. Governor Blanco - "Worse than our worst fears."

10:33 A.M. People trapped near Jefferson Parish and Orleans are being asked to get a boat and get to the Sam's Club parking lot on Earhart and Airline to meet the National Guard who will take you to the Superdome.

10:15 A.M. A spokeswoman describes Jefferson Parish as a "very dangerous" place. Jackie Bauer says there's gas leaks everywhere, water needs to be boiled, there's no commercial power, no pumping stations and the water's toxic.

And there's still some deep water in some neighborhoods. Bauer says there are other dangers -- snakes in the water, other vermin, loose dogs and cats everywhere. She says -- quoting now -- "We kind of have to fight for survival with them." - Associated Press

10 A.M. WWL-TV crew bugged out from French Quarter studios to transmitter site in Gretna. Trees down and sides of buildings collapsed. Roof shingles on the street are dangerous with nails and one WWL-TV car got a flat tire on the way over. - Dennis Woltering.

9:35 A.M. Marshal Law in effect in Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish. 60 percent of homes in Plaquemines Parish under water.

9:33 A.M. Uptown fared much better than the rest of the city. - Andy Jacobs, Uptown caller.

8:39 A.M. WWL-TV studios are being evacuated as rising water is coming into the station. The French Quarter is taking on water and water is expected to rise in the city for the next few days

Source: http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOGII.1626ad7d.html