Flood Waters Recede in New Orleans

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

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began pumping water out the flooded city Monday after closing a major gap in the levee that burst during Hurricane Katrina, flooding 80 percent of the bowl-shaped city.
Efforts to evacuate holdouts were stepping up Monday, with boat rescue crews from around the country searching for people to rescue.

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

Draining the flood waters is likely going to take weeks, leaving behind a layer of toxic sludge - and bodies. The mayor said it wouldn't be ``unreasonable'' to have the city's death toll reach 10,000.

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