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CNN Live Today
New Orleans Residents Resist Evacuation; Officials Answer Questions on Forced Evacuations, Recovery Efforts
Aired September 09, 2005 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, HOST: A live picture from in front of New Orleans city hall. We expect some time within the hour to hear a briefing, the daily briefing from the New Orleans Police Department and other officials. When that begins, we will go there live.
I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
First up this hour, "Mission Critical," an update on urgent issues in the Hurricane Katrina disaster zone.
New Orleans police say that just about everyone who is willing to leave the city has done so. And now, getting ready to carry out forced evacuations. The police superintendent says the officers will use the minimum amount of force necessary.
The federal government says 17 million meals and more than 37 million liters of water have been distributed to hurricane survivors. That's in addition to the relief provided by charities and volunteers.
Two hospitals in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina won't be able to reopen in those buildings. Louisiana State University operates Charity and University hospitals. LSU officials plan to rebuild, but they don't know where.
President Bush vows to stand by Hurricane Katrina evacuees for the long haul. The president has signed a $51.8 billion emergency spending bill as part of the recovery effort.
And the Army Corps of Engineers says that flood waters in New Orleans are receding at a rate of four to six inches a day. Thirty- seven of the 174 permanent pumps around the city are now operational.
Police in New Orleans say that most of those volunteer evacuations are now over. They are estimating between 5,000 and 10,000 residents are defying the mandatory evacuation order and they are staying in the city. So that means police will soon use force to move them out.
CNN's Dan Simon is in downtown New Orleans on the corner of Canal and North Peter streets. Good afternoon, I should say.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Daryn.
I'll get to that in a moment. But first, some new information to pass along. We are here at the foot of the Canal, as you said. And we just observed a military briefing. And officials there are expressing concern over some rifles that were stolen from a gun shop in the nearby community of Chalmette. To quote the senior official who just led that briefing, at least two rifles were taken, high- powered rifles along with an undisclosed amount of ammunition. So they are very concerned about that new development there in Chalmette.
Now as for those residents, it's estimated there are somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 residents who still haven't left the city. The police department has made it clear they don't want to, you know, use force to get these people to leave, but Daryn, based upon what we saw, they may have to do just that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you -- has your neighborhood ever been invaded by state troopers from another state, sent here by God knows whom?
SIMON (voice-over): Many of the people continuing to stay in New Orleans were told time was running out. Ashton O'Dwyer (ph) is an attorney but says he'll defy any order requiring him to evacuate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will leave when I am dead, OK? Let them be warned. They come to my house, they try to evict me, they try to take my guns, there will be gunfire.
SIMON: With his house in tact, and with plenty of food and water, O'Dwyer (ph) can not understand why folks like him are being forced to leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Treat me with benign neglect. Get out of my neighborhood. Get out of my life. Get out of my (expletive deleted) city.
SIMON: And there were plenty of other fireworks as officers went door to door looking for holdouts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my right. It's my constitutional right.
SIMON: The situation got extremely tense when an armed man barricaded himself, threatening to shoot. He was eventually arrested without incident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are we evicting these people, for God's sakes?
SIMON: Officers also arrested the occupants of a suspected stolen truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing? Whoa. Put your hands where I see them.
SIMON: They searched it and found a stash of drugs and a handgun.
It may have been more calm at this neighborhood bar, but the sentiment remains the same as folks tried to figure out how to avoid the mandatory order.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... of the homeland security facility in New Orleans. The city attorney...
KAGAN: We're listening now to a news conference with the New Orleans Police Department and other officials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have Dan Parker, who is a CEO of Entergy (ph). We also have Dr. Howard and Joy Osofsky and Michael Rivera (ph), all from the LSU Department of Psychiatry. We'll working with the police department in terms of counseling members of the New Orleans Police Department.
The superintendent will open with comments, followed by members who are standing with me, as well. Following that, we'll open for questioning. And again, for protocol, from my left your right around so we can get all of these questions in -- Superintendent.
SUPERINTENDENT EDDIE COMPASS, NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT: First of all, I want to take a personal moment. My wife is eight months pregnant. And the doctor that's performing the delivery of my wife is in Denim Springs. Her name is Dr. B-E-N-A-T-I, Dr. Benanti. And she's very distraught and upset because she can not find her uncle. So if anyone knows the whereabouts of Peter K-U-Y-P -- it's pronounced "Kipe" -- please call Dr. Benanti at 255-262-7622 or 225- 925-1196.
The reason I remain so composed over the entire deal, is because the people in Denim Springs are taking care of my family and my wife and my child. And the people at the Ritz Carlton are taking care of my daughters from a previous marriage. And if you all could help me with this, you'll be doing a lot for this effort. Because as long as my family's taken care of, I'm going to be all right.
All right. Today, I want to let you know that we've made over 200 arrests as of now. And there were no major incidences overnight.
There's vicious rumors about children being found dead inside the convention center. We have swept the entire convention center. There are no children found there. And we have no confirmed reports of any type of sexual assaults.
So, with that, we're going to have this Ms. Landry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you say your name and title?
SHERRY LANDRY, CITY ATTORNEY, NEW ORLEANS: Good morning. I'm Sherry Landry. I'm the city attorney for New Orleans. I'm here to address you only on issues related to the mandatory evacuation.
The mandatory evacuation order signed by Mayor Nagin is still in effect. Checkpoints have been set up at all entry points to the city to prevent the return of any persons not specifically engaged in the recovery effort from entering the city. At this time, force is not being used to evacuate those persons who are already in the city. Rather, our officers and troops continue to strongly encourage, strongly encourage those folks in the city that are not associated with the recovery effort to leave, for their safety and for the safety of our officers, troops, and contractors.
In addition to health concerns, there are no traffic lights. Many streets are still impassable due to debris and, to a lesser extent, standing water. Therefore, our emergency vehicles often have to travel against traffic in the wrong direction at high speeds.
Additionally, even in the CBD, some streets still have broken glass. Many of our vehicles have been put temporarily out of commission by flat tires. If you come into the city now, the likelihood of you sustaining multiple flat tires is very high. And there are no replacements readily available to the general public.
We want to send a message to our citizens who are concerned about the safeguarding of their property. The city is now fully secured. The city is now fully secured. Fourteen thousand troops are in Orleans parish at present. They are actively patrolling all areas of the city and are even running nightly reconnaissance missions on air and ground to prevent further looting.
We want to send the message to members of our business community. We know that you need to get back into the city to recover your servers and your critical data. We know that you need to get back into the city and open your doors to commerce. We are working 24/7 to make that happen for you as quickly as possible.
While we do have power in the CBD at present, it is not able to support all of the buildings in the CBD at this time. Rather, Entergy configured a temporary solution to get power to certain buildings that were critical to the recovery effort.
It is our goal to restore power to the CBD and to clear all streets in the CBD of debris and glass within the next seven days or sooner. At that time, we will establish a process for businesses to return to the city.
We are aware of rumors that soldiers have kicked in doors and dragged people out of their homes. We have not been able to confirm any of those rumors. What I can tell you is that, to the best of our knowledge, neither the NOPD, the National Guard, or members of the 82nd Airborne have done so. We are not currently implementing forced evacuations.
Finally, we ask for your continued cooperation and patience in complying with the mandatory evacuation order during these next several critical days.
Thank you.
COL. TERRY EBBERT, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NEW ORLEANS: I'd like to take a moment to address the status of the search and rescue operation that has been conducted in the city since the night of the storm.
The New Orleans Police Department along with the 82nd Airborne and the National Guard have visited by grid, by street, every location in the city accessible by land or by boat or by air. We have determined and evacuated all those people who wanted, at this point in time, to leave their residences or their points where we saw them. So the search for living individuals across the city has been conducted.
What we are starting today, again, in a joint operation of both the military, the National Guard, and the New Orleans Police Department, is a recovery operation. A recovery operation to search by street, by grid, for the -- any remains of individuals who have passed away.
This exercise will be done with dignity, meaning that there will be no press allowed. You can imagine the issue of sitting in Houston and watching somebody removed from your parent's home. We don't think that's proper.
The guard will identify where those individuals are, where the remains to thoroughly search the houses, keep them under observation until the recovery team arrives and removes those individuals, the remains of the individuals.
At that point in time, all the operation will shift to the demort teams, who will make the identification, which will in fact identify the next of kin. All the data on numbers will be released only by the state of Louisiana, who is coordinating this. So from our level in the city of New Orleans, it's fruitless to ask me or the police department what the numbers are.
And we will start this operation today. Again, driven by the dignity and respect that people who have passed in this terrible storm. We ensure to maintain that through all the operation.
It will be a very tedious long-term basis as we go through, because we have got to deal with those homes where we don't think people are, so that we don't get accused of entering homes that don't need to be entered. And so it's a very fine line that we work in coordinating.
The New Orleans Police Department has the ultimate responsibility for all law enforcement actions. Neither the National Guard nor the 82nd Airborne will take on any law enforcement issues. If they are presented with those issues, either in evacuating and trying to convince people that it's for their best good to move, they will identify those sites. We are co-located, and we will take those missions on.
And that's the mission of law enforcement. Law enforcement in the city of New Orleans is still underneath the complete control of Superintendent Compass and his men and women of the New Orleans Police Department.
Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Name and title please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Give us your name and title please and spell it.
EBBERT: I'm Colonel Terry Ebbert. I'm the director of homeland security in the city of New Orleans, responsible for the police department, fire department, and the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you spell your last name?
EBBERT: E-B-B-E-R-T.
DR. JULIETTE SAUSSY, DIRECTOR OF EMS, NEW ORLEANS: Good morning. I'm Dr. Juliette Saussy. I'm director of EMS for the city of New Orleans.
We've had 911 operations up for several days now. We currently have no 911 calls holding. We are taking those and expeditiously dispatching by ground, high water vehicle, and boat when available to the various addresses and calls for help.
I'd like to thank our out of state mutual aid providers that have come to our aid to help staff appropriately. We currently have the adequate number of staff to answer the number of calls that we're receiving. And we will continue our rescue efforts until we feel like it's time to switch to recovery.
I -- I want to assure everybody that in terms of responding to your calls, we are doing it in a timely fashion and we'll continue to do so. We were able to get up and running shortly after the storm and have been the 911 provider since that time and will continue to be the 911 provider for your medical emergencies.
Thank you.
DAN PACKER, PRESIDENT/CEO, ENTERGY: My name is Dan Packer, president and chief executive officer of Entergy in New Orleans, the local power company and gas company.
Currently, throughout our service territory, which includes Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and parts of Texas, we restored power to about 700,000 customers. We peaked at around 1.1 million customers out, which is a record for us.
We have about 350,000 in the state of Louisiana still to turn back on. The vast majority of those customers are in the metro New Orleans area.
We've also hired the international consulting and crisis management firm founded by Rudy Giuliani to help us with the aftermath of Katrina.
I'd like to ask everyone who's out and about in the city, if you smell gas, our 800 number is working. Please dial 1-800-ENTERGY, E-N- T-E-R-G-Y; 1-800-ENTERGY if you smell gas at all. We're currently conducting gas sweeps in the French Quarter, Algiers, and uptown. And from there, we'll be assessing damage and slowly starting to turn the lights back on. As you probably know, we are going to -- it's going to take months to get New Orleans East, the Ninth -- lower Ninth Ward and a good part of St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish.
Thank you very much.
SUPERINTENDENT CHARLES PARENT, NEW ORLEANS FIRE DEPARTMENT: Charles Parent, superintendent, New Orleans Fire Department.
We had a good day to reorganize yesterday. We only made three working fires, 21 incidents. Right now we have four staging areas within the city that we disembark from to respond to fires.
We are reorganizing the fire department with the help of the New York Fire Department, fire departments from Illinois and Maryland. We have a system in place. It seems to be working. And we're continuing. As the water recedes, we will move out and take over new parts of the city.
If there's any firemen out there ready to return to work in New Orleans, please call 504-658-7634 for information on returning to the city.
HOWARD OSOFSKY, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, LSU MEDICAL CENTER: I am Dr. Howard Osofsky. And actually, I'm representing the team from -- I'm the chair of the Department of Psychiatry at LSU Medical Center here in New Orleans.
And I'm representing our team, including two of the people who are standing next to me, Michael Rivera (ph), who flew back from Colorado to be with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
OSOFSKY: Yes, and my wife, Joy Osofsky, who has done -- am I speaking loud enough now? Who has done much work with children exposed to trauma over the years.
What we are here for is to try and give support to our very fine police department and fire department, knowing the tremendous stresses that they have been through, knowing that for a high percentage they have lost homes. For many, they did not know, do not still know the whereabouts of family members. Knowing how courageous they've been under very difficult circumstances. But -- and that many, most, will do very well throughout.
For some, and the current policy is to give a period of relief, of time off, which is very important. We're also going to be available to them and over the coming months, to their families, too. Because this is not -- this is the time of response. But during recovery, we're aware there can be tremendous pressures existing not only for them but for children, for partners, for parents. And it is our mission to try and provide the services they need. Oh, and I should mention, emergency medical systems, and by the way, the other health care workers who have been so traumatized. But we are very respectful of what our police and firemen have done during this time, and the EMS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, we'll take questions, starting to my left. Yes, sir.
QUESTION: I have a question for, first of all (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I want to talk about the number of dead. And I know you're not talking about the exact numbers.
But there's a report today, somewhat encouraging, from the state senator, who said that the number of bodies that have been recovered so far -- number of bodies that have been recovered so far are a bit -- seem to be a bit less than expected. He said it's -- there's a hope that it's going to be far less, perhaps, than that 10,000 figure, even though I know no one's made an official announcement. Are you -- is there some possible hope in this area?
EBBERT: I think that there's some encouragement in what we found in the initial sweeps, that some of the catastrophic death that some people predicted may not -- may not, in fact, have occurred.
QUESTION: Can you go into that?
EBBERT: I can say that I think that we have great hope with a number of people that we evacuated, with the number of people that went into the Superdome and the number of people that have been recovered through the rescue operation, over 8,000 people, that the numbers so far are relatively minor, as compared to the dire prediction -- projections of 10,000.
QUESTION: Can I ask one second question?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Not necessarily for you, sir. I want to ask about the idea of forcing people to leave their homes. We keep hearing -- we keep hearing every day you're going to do it; you're going to do it. Some people have suggested you're just posturing, trying to make as many people leave without forcing them to leave.
We see more people in some areas come back every day as things lessen up. In St. Tammany, they've opened -- there are adjacent areas they're opening. Are you ever really going to force people to leave their homes?
LANDRY: If we find it necessary to do so for issues of safety, we will do so. At this time, we're really trying to make that last resort. What we really would like to accomplish is to get the cooperation of the folks that are still in the city that are not directly related to the recovery effort.
It's a safety issue for them. It's a safety issue for us. We're trying our best to persuasively negotiate. And we are not using force at this time. I cannot speak to the future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Yes, sir?
QUESTION: Hi, my question is for Colonel Ebbert. My name's Dan Harrison from ABC News. There are a lot of people, as you know, evacuees across the country relieved to find out what happened to their loved ones who are missing. And I'm sure they would like to know shy is it only today that the search for dead, as you said, has begun in earnest?
We've got reporting from sources, federal sources who say that it was put off because of some bureaucratic fighting between the federal government and the state government. What can you tell us?
EBBERT: I don't think anything's been put off. I think that we concentrated all the recovery operations on the living. And we've visited and completely gridded this city. And every structure in this city has been visited by the New Orleans Police Department in conjunction with the military.
So we were concentrating totally on getting people who survived the storm out of the storm. Now, we're going to go back with a grid, entering into those spaces, which is a much more onerous task, searching from top down.
As the water recedes, the water has a big impact on our search, because we're dealing with a city that basically water-intrusion limited that, over 80 percent. And there were no deaths, obviously, in those areas that were high and dry.
QUESTION: A follow-up for a second, please? The other day, Wednesday, there was, I don't know, but the people at this press conference said that there was a temporary morgue sent up on the interchange of I-10 and I-610. We went there that day and we found three bodies on the side of the road. And they (UNINTELLIGIBLE) wildlife officials said it wasn't their responsibility to pick them up.
We went back today. The bodies are still there. Is that the temporary morgue? Or can that be better explained?
EBBERT: All the morgue issues are being contracted through FEMA, through the state to ensure that we're in compliance with the laws of the state of Louisiana.
The city of New Orleans is not involved, nor is our police department involved, in either removing, tagging, or identifying any of the remains. This is a total federal operation through -- down from the -- down contracted through FEMA, provided through demort teams.
So they will in fact, send recovery individuals and when we identify a body, to remove them. And they will be removed off-site to a separate location, identified and reported.
QUESTION: I have a question, probably, for Ms. Landry. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Landry? Ms. Landry?
QUESTION: Those residents who have generators, who have flushable toilets. The water's safe for a month or two, something like. Who are you prepared to help clean up their neighborhoods, fix homes. What are their chances of getting contracting permits?
LANDRY: What are their chances of getting contractor's permits to stay in their homes?
QUESTION: To stay in their homes.
LANDRY: I would say their chances are slim and none. We're not going to use force right now, but we're not going to give them contractor's permits.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am?
QUESTION: Could someone just clarify with respect to the recovery effort since beginning today, are there city workers that are involved in recovery? Or are you merely indicating where they are?
The reason I ask is because I've been out with search and rescue. When they find a body, they mark the GPS coordinates. Is that what you're also doing? Or are you starting to go to those locations and do actual recovery?
EBBERT: We, meaning the city of New Orleans through our police department, is working in conjunction with the military, both the National Guard and the 82nd Airborne, to begin the recovery operations.
Our responsibility is to go to those sites, some of which, as you say, have already been identified, keep them under observation, call for the recovery team, which will be decided -- or provided by the federal government. And we will remain in that location until those bodies are removed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
QUESTION: I want to address the New Orleans Police Department.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speak up. Speak up.
QUESTION: The forced evacuation question here. There seems to be at least some confusion about it. There are officers now, not just in the New Orleans Police Department, but other police departments who say they're at risk by going back several times to get these people who won't come out. Are you concerned about putting officers at risk when you send them back into the areas?
EBBERT: Today we're attempting, with the federal government's assistance, to gain control of all law enforcement agencies that have been provided.
So we are working to, one, categorize, identify, the number of people, the organizations, and assign them directly to the New Orleans Police Department for law enforcement actions. And thereby, not allowing individual departments to act on their own. It will be a consolidated service provided with it, coordination of federal law enforcement.
QUESTION: But some of these people have been visited several times by law enforcement, who have to go back and risk themselves to tell people to come out when they won't come out.
EBBERT: I doubt that they would have gone back three times if they were at risk for themselves. So I think that this issue has been explained by the city attorney very distinctly on the procedures that will be used.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, yes, sir?
QUESTION: The boat in the water, isn't at risk to themselves?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's just take the next question, please.
QUESTION: Commissioner, as far as forced evacuations, could you define that term? How far are you willing to go?
COMPASS: Ms. Landry is addressing all the questions on that issue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Landry?
QUESTION: What are the limitations...
QUESTION: If it gets to the point of forced evacuations, how far are officials prepared to go? Is this at gunpoint that we're talking about? How do you define?
LANDRY: We will address that issue if and when the time comes to use force. Right now we are strongly encouraging those folks in the city not directly associated with recovery to leave for their safety and for our safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. In the back.
QUESTION: This is for Juliette, I didn't catch your last name. I'm Dan Husky (ph) from WDSU (ph) in New Orleans (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Have there been any illnesses in the health of the clean-up workers? Are there, and what are you doing to protect them now? And what does it say towards how are you going to protect them in the future clean- up?
SAUSSY: Well, currently, all health care workers have available to them personal protective equipment, which they don appropriate for the situation. I have not seen any -- any trends in any sort of illnesses whatsoever. We've been amazingly healthy and continue to be amazingly healthy.
So, yes, that's right. In the future we will, whatever it takes in terms of personal protective equipment. We'll request it and use it as it's appropriate.
QUESTION: If the public reacted the same way, could you see the same things?
SAUSSY: I think it's a mistake for the public to be let back in.
QUESTION: Dennis Walter on Channel 4. We were wondering about the dangers of these flood waters. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) It has been reported that the rescue dogs from the organization (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Is there any concern that the danger of the flood water could impact that?
EBBERT: I take that we feel comfortable with the inoculation, especially of our forces and the National Guard forces, that the disease, serious disease opportunity is at a minimum. So we don't -- we're not concerned about that, Dennis.
QUESTION: Are many of the Guard forces talk about leaving?
EBBERT: Absolutely not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Lee?
QUESTION: Colonel Ebbert, do you have any updates on the water drainage and how that's going?
EBBERT: The water drainage is obviously -- if you've been out and around, is improving on a daily basis. We have about two-thirds of the pumps in the city pumping. We have our Carrollton (ph) Water Plant power up, because that's driving the majority of those pumps. We, in fact, have got pressure rising in the city. We've got it up to the eighth floor and ninth floor in City Hall. So we have water pressure.
But the water out there, I want to say, is not potable, and it's not to be used for anything other than sanitation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
QUESTION: Colonel, they're saying that the recovery effort is beginning today. Does that mean that the search and rescue is completed? That anyone who could have survived this storm and was trapped inside their homes has either been rescued or passed away?
EBBERT: Well, to best of our ability, we have thoroughly searched this city, and have dealt with those individuals who want to be evacuated. And now we're back in a recovery operation for remains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
QUESTION: Are you going to -- (INAUDIBLE) of "The Times." Are you going to be going into the dry areas (INAUDIBLE) with this much intent as you are going into these wet areas to evacuate people that are in those areas as well?
EBBERT: We -- the evacuation is universal. Obviously, the recovery operation, we're going to deal in the areas where there would be the likelihood of remains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
QUESTION: AP is reporting that FEMA did a practice study for such a disaster in New Orleans. Are you using part of that study for your recovery efforts?
EBBERT: We have practiced with the hurricane -- the Hurricane Pam scenario that they asked us to work with. And over the past two years, all the officials in Louisiana, Mississippi, have used that as a model. So yes, we are using some of the things that we learned through that process.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir? You got a follow-up question?
QUESTION: Yes, I don't think my question was answered. Are you going to be going into those dry areas as well as the wet areas today, (INAUDIBLE)?
EBBERT: I misunderstood. The dry areas, we are still looking at to evacuate people. Obviously, the dry areas that were flooded are not going to be imposed on the recovery operation. Algiers (ph) is up and running. The eastern area along the river is in good shape.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
QUESTION: What is the real risk of an epidemic coming out (INAUDIBLE)?
SAUSSY: You know, again, I think we've been incredibly fortunate up to this point that we have not seen any sort of patterns in disease states.
However, the water continues to stand, and if people do not leave, certainly the potential exists for proliferation of bacteria and viruses, et cetera. And I, you know, the risk exists. It's not here now. But certainly, in the future, should folks come back in or choose to stay, the stagnant water, the human remains, the feces, et cetera, that absolutely raises the risk.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) help to (INAUDIBLE)...
SAUSSY: People not leaving...
QUESTION: ... (INAUDIBLE) not helping (INAUDIBLE)...
SAUSSY: It's not helping. And people not leaving are at an increased risk, is what I'm saying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: Question for Chief Compass?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chief Compass? What's your question?
QUESTION: The question is, can you elaborate on the (INAUDIBLE) arrests that he mentioned? (INAUDIBLE)?
COMPASS: The arrests that we've made thus far, 200-plus as of this morning, were for an assortment of offenses, weapons charges, looting, other types of state violations. We are working with not only the district attorney's office but the U.S. attorney's office in determining whether some of those cases can be prosecuted on a federal level.
QUESTION: Were any of those (INAUDIBLE) to leave their homes (INAUDIBLE)?
COMPASS: No, they weren't. No, no, no.
Let's go back to -- Yes, ma'am.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speak up, speak up.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grid search process.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
EBBERT: The search process will be done, obviously, through a grid layout, starting with the areas that are accessible, where we can enter the structures where there's most likely to be found remains.
So in this case, we're going to those areas first where we think that there's the greatest possibility that someone perished.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the neighborhood?
EBBERT: It would be the neighborhoods with the deepest flooding.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: On the evacuation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Landry? Ms. Landry? Ms. Landry?
QUESTION: Ms. Landry, we have seen a situation where people have said that they were forced to evacuate already. And we have talked to people who say they are not leaving under any circumstances. What's your policy with that?
LANDRY: The people who said that they have been forced to evacuate, we have not been able to confirm the use of force. We do know that we have some people who came into the city early on, I guess, cowboys, if you will, helping us with their own guns, and performing a very valuable service initially in terms of helping us with search and rescue. And we don't know if it's some of those folks. We don't know if it's some folks that maybe haven't gotten the word. But I can tell you that no one has been instructed in NOPD, with the National Guard, or with the 82nd Airborne to use force.
To our knowledge, we have not been able to confirm the use of force by any of those agencies.
What I can tell you about the people who are refusing to leave under any circumstances, all we can do is plead with them to do the right thing. And the right thing right now is to look at the safety of the city as a whole. And we really would be better served right now. We have their city secured. This city is secure. Their property is going to be OK.
We need to focus on recovery. And the only way we think we can do that without diverting essential resources or putting those people or ourselves in harm's way (INAUDIBLE)...
KAGAN: We've been listening in to the daily update in front of the City Hall in New Orleans.
Some rumors they tried to squash at the beginning, saying that no children were found dead inside the Convention Center. A rumor about that had gone around. Also, they say no confirmed reports of sexual assaults that had taken place inside the Convention Center.
A lot of focus during that news conference on the mandatory evacuation order, which still is in effect. They wanted to stress that it's still in effect. They are not using force at this time for those who refuse to go. However, that threat of that is still out there. And they are setting up checkpoints outside the city to keep those who have left from coming back in at this time.
Let's also tell you that we're expecting in about a half-hour a FEMA news conference out of Baton Rouge. Homeland Defense Secretary Michael Chertoff expected to make an announcement about the hurricane relief effort there.
Then, we're also watching out of Washington, D.C., a ceremony taking place. Right now, we see Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. This is for dozens of September 11 family members. They are -- have traveled there to receive the Congressional Medal of Valor on behalf of more than 400 firefighters and police officers who were killed at the World Trade Center. We also do expect remarks from President Bush at that ceremony, President Bush announcing earlier today he is going back to the Gulf region. He will take that trip on Sunday.
Our coverage continues. We're back with the latest on Ophelia, the latest hurricane-slash-tropical storm off the U.S. coast. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Want to check in right now on Alexandria, Louisiana. They are expecting a bittersweet homecoming, which is unfolding at this hour. Members of the Louisiana's National Guard 256th Brigade Combat Team are on their way back from duty in Iraq. But they have a very uncertain future.
Of all the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 256th was hardest- hit by Katrina.
Our Ed Lavandera is in Alexandria, Louisiana, for the troops' arrival. Ed, hello.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
Well, we're a couple of hours away from the arrival here, where there'll -- a ceremony will take place right behind me. They're setting up for that now. But this unit in Iraq have been spending the last year patrolling the streets in and around the Baghdad airport. They lost 35 soldiers over the last year.
And they just found out in the last couple of weeks that almost 500 of them have been affected in some way by Hurricane Katrina, many of them losing their homes, many more could actually have turned out to have lost their jobs because of this as well.
So when they come here, you know, the faces, as these soldiers were taking off from Kuwait, that's the video you're seeing now of them leaving, they're about an hour, less than an hour away from landing here in Louisiana. But many of them won't get any time to rest and relax. Many of them have to get the time on, the time as soon as they land, getting their family life back together, figuring out where they're going to live.
In fact, one of those hardest hit is the deputy commander of this brigade, Colonel Ronnie (ph) Johnson, who says he lost his house, and his two daughters lost his house in the flooding in New Orleans as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. ROBERT JOHNSON, LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD: First thing I did, is, I was just thankful that I did not lose any of my family members. And, you know, I made it through a war alive, my family made it through a hurricane alive. And believe it or not, once I had those issues settled, the rest of it, we just got to -- we'll recover.
It's tough. I mean, nothing I would like more than to go home and just been able to relax and go on a fishing trip to North Carolina that I had planned. But that'll wait, because now our citizens need our help, and we are going to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: The fishing trip is over for the colonel. But as he said, he'll get back to that.
You know, the Army is doing something interesting with many of these soldiers who have been affected. Since many of them have lost their jobs, of course, money will be a major issue for them as they try to piece things back together here. But the Army will allow, and since we're talking about reservists here, the Army is offering these soldiers to extend their duty, active duty, by a year.
They will not be sent back to Iraq or anything like that. They will be allowed to do their jobs here within Louisiana, but to at least have that certainty of having a job, because many of the soldiers in this unit, we understand, have jobs in the petroleum industry, a very hard-hit industry. So they're not really sure whether many of them have jobs to go to right now. So the Army trying to help them out as much as possible in this transition.
But the main story here is that there's no time for many of them to rest and relax, Daryn, after a tough tour of duty in Iraq, as many of them have to deal with strong personal issues here, Daryn.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Ed Lavandera, live from Louisiana. Thank you.
Let's head to Houston, where about 7,000 evacuees remain in the Houston Astrodome complex. Today, they're able to pick up debit cards for much-needed goods.
Our Betty Nguyen is outside the Astrodome with that story. Betty, hello.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
Just one little thing, we just got some updated numbers. Now there are 8,600 evacuees here at the four main shelters, and that may be because folks who evacuated ahead of time and didn't go to shelters are running out of money in the hotels that are sending (INAUDIBLE) shelters, and that may account for that number is higher today.
As for those FEMA cards, they are being distributed as a flat $2,000 to a household. And those lines that were so long earlier this morning, people, in fact, waiting in line overnight to make sure they would be one of the first to go through the door, because yesterday, with all that chaos with the Red Cross debit cards that were being handed out. There was crowd-control issues. They were under a temporary lockdown.
But things seem to be running a lot smoother today. We understand 500 families are being processed every hour, so that is definitely good news. The money is getting in the hands of the people who need it, especially when they need that money to start their lives here in Houston.
I want to talk now to Ruby Patterson. She is looking for her brother, Daryn.
And Ruby, when was the last time you saw him?
RUBY PATTERSON, EVACUEE: I haven't seen James since before the hurricane, which was probably Friday evening.
NGUYEN: And where did you last see him? PATTERSON: Actually, he usually is at my sister's house on Eagle Street in New Orleans.
NGUYEN: But he didn't want to leave, right?
PATTERSON: Right, exactly, because his wife works for a local hospital, he usually does what she does, and stay with her. Her name is Mary Alice Patterson.
NGUYEN: And you think she stayed behind to help people in need?
PATTERSON: Yes, I definitely do.
NGUYEN: You've got to be so worried.
PATTERSON: Yes, I am, because he's -- it's not only him, but -- it's him, his wife, his two daughters, and he has also three grandsons.
NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE). So what are you doing to try to find him? Have you been on the registries? Have you been online, making phone calls?
PATTERSON: Yes, I did go on the register. He is registered. So hopefully he's looking at this now. I know in my heart that he is safe. I just need to hear something from him.
NGUYEN: Well, that is good news that he is registered. So you know that he made it out. It's just a matter of you finding exactly where he is.
PATTERSON: Yes.
NGUYEN: All right. Well let's give a number out, so if he's watching, hopefully, he can call you.
PATTERSON: OK, the number is 504-236-7439. And that is his sister Yolande's cellphone number. So please, give us a call.
NGUYEN: And if he is watching, what do you want to say to him?
PATTERSON: We love you. We miss you. We are worried. We love you. Hope you guys are all together and safe.
NGUYEN: And what happens next for you?
PATTERSON: Well, my daughter lives here in Houston, Texas. And the plan was to come here and stay with them two years anyway. So now it has been pushed up. And hopefully I can find employment and get back to living my normal life.
NGUYEN: Are you getting help here in finding that employment?
PATTERSON: Yes. Actually I went to the Work Source already. So those things are working.
NGUYEN: And you don't plan on going back to New Orleans.
PATTERSON: Not at this moment. I really do not believe so. But I have some things that I need to go and take care of. But as far as residency, I'm not sure of.
NGUYEN: And as you're talking about taking care of things, one thing on your list, a very important thing on your list, is finding your brother. So I'm going to give that number out again. I hope you find him.
PATTERSON: OK, thank you very much. I appreciate everything.
NGUYEN: Best of luck to you.
PATTERSON: Thank you.
NGUYEN: One more time, Daryn, that number to contact Ruby Patterson, she's looking for her brother, James Patterson. The phone number right now, 504-236-7439. Back to you.
KAGAN: And that's the number that we've had up during the whole interview as well. So we wish her well to Ms. Patterson in finding her brother. Thank you, Betty.
CNN is committed to helping thousands displaced by the tragedy reconnect with their loved ones.
Up next, we're going to share some of those stories from our Victims and Relief Desk. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: For more than a week now, CNN has been using our vast resources in the Gulf Coast to connect families and friends who have been displaced by the storm.
Our Carol Lin has been at the forefront of the effort, joins us now from our Victims and Relief Desk. Carol?
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Daryn.
Just want to let the folks know that we're paying attention to Betty's live shots out at the Astrodome, and we're also getting messages to some of the people back out there at the Astrodome who are trying to get messages to their loved ones.
I do have news about two people we've helped find, but we still need your help to find someone else.
Now, since showing you Sister Marie Anunciata's picture on Wednesday, we're happy to tell you that she's with her family now. Remember, she was just visiting New Orleans from New York when Katrina hit. She is in stable condition and resting at a Houston hospital.
And more good news to report. Yesterday, we told you about 86- year-old Cornelia Dumas Thibodeaux. Well, hospital staffers in Lafayette, Louisiana, recognized her picture on CNN, and then folks at CNN helped connect the sister with her family. We got a nice e-mail from her son-in-law, Sidney Barthelmy, who is the former mayor of New Orleans. Thank you very much.
But friends and family are still looking for Mary C. Taylor. She was refusing to leave New Orleans, but decided to leave at the last minute. The National Guard searched her home yesterday, but no one was there. So her family really believes that she did make it out, she made it out. But they want to know where she went.
And now, the latest from hurricane survivors talking to our crews at the Astrodome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SELENA DEBOUE, HOUSTON, TEXAS: My name is Selena Deboue. I'm looking for my two sons, Lester and Darryl (ph) Deboue, and my common- law husband, Lawrence Dublais (ph). And I'm at this Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.
JULIO ALVARADO, HOUSTON, TEXAS: My name is Julio Alvarado. We're staying at some private shelter around 43rd Street. And we are looking for Alberto Avril (ph), which is my father-in-law. The last time -- we know that he left Sunday with somebody. But we don't know if they came over here, or where he are.
SHARON WEBB, HOUSTON, TEXAS: His name is Treyshaun (ph) Webb. He's 13 years old. The last time I seen him was the Sunday before the hurricane. But my other -- my son and my daughter left him at the New Orleans Convention Center with my baby sister, Morentia (ph) Webb. And she's missing too. I just wish I could find him.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
LIN: Listen, giving hope to people out there. This is how you can make a difference. Whether people are lost or found, e-mail us at HurricaneVictims@cnn.com. If you are looking for information, we have a list of resources at cnn.com/helpcenter.
But that's how we help connect people, Daryn, is, we hear from our viewers out there.
KAGAN: All right, doing good work, Carol. Thank you.
Also important to check in with our weather department. Another hurricane-slash-tropical storm, Ophelia, off the Florida coast. Rob Marciano will be along to bring us the latest on that in just a moment.
The abandoned victims of Katrina. Rescue efforts are turning to the animals left behind in the flooded streets of New Orleans in the chaos after the storm. Animal welfare organizations are going home to home, rounding up the animals. Plus, donations of money, pet food, and supplies are coming in from around the country. People across the South are taking dogs, cats, even guinea pigs into their homes until their owners can be found. And the reunions are worth it all. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my baby. This is my family, right here, for now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: You need a program to keep up with Ophelia, tropical storm, then a hurricane, now tropical storm again. Questions remain about what Ophelia will do next.
Meteorologist Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center with some answers. Hello.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Daryn.
One thing's for sure, is, Ophelia right now, at least, is on the move and has weakened by 10 miles an hour sustained winds to a tropical storm, but still a strong storm. You can see how finally we got a little bit of a nudge out of this storm last night. So, a little bit farther away from the coast, and that's good news.
Here's the radar signature on the Titan. And we'll zoom in a little bit closer. Getting a bit out of range, and also the eye not nearly as defined as it was just last night. So pretty far away right now. It's about 100 miles, 130 miles to the east of Daytona Beach and heading towards the north-northeast at about five miles an hour.
So here are the stats, 65-mile-an-hour sustained winds is what Ophelia has right now, with slightly higher gusts. But that puts it as a strong tropical storm. The forecast in the National Hurricane Center has it strengthening back to a hurricane probably during the day tomorrow. Then on Sunday, and it doesn't go quite all the way out to sea. Matter of fact, the area of concern now looks to be the Carolinas in through Georgia, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of next week.
A turnraound on this storm, all of our computer models now starting to say that is probably what's going to happen. So moving away, and weaker now, Daryn, but could easily come back at us next week. (INAUDIBLE).
KAGAN: And you will be tracking it. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: OK.
KAGAN: And that's going to do it for this hour of CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Daryn Kagan. I will see you Monday from New Orleans. "LIVE FROM..." with Kyra Phillips is up next after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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