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Officials clash on people returning to New Orleans as toll hits 883
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-09-19 09:59

ACK TO BUSINESS

Nagin has asked business owners in the historic French Quarter, the downtown business district and parts of the Uptown neighborhoods to return to the city that only days ago was nearly entirely underwater after levees along Lake Pontchartrain gave way.

"Promoting the return of commerce to New Orleans and the region is key if we are going to realize our common objective: to bring New Orleans back," Nagin said.

Saturday night, many lights were back on downtown and in the French Quarter as electricity was restored in some sections.

Business owners began the daunting task of cleaning up to reopen. Some said they could open as soon as they get a green light from city officials, while others said it will take longer. All agreed the French Quarter would only fully recover when tourists came back en masse.

A view of the destroyed ninth area of New Orleans, September 18, 2005. The death toll from Hurricane Katrina climbed to 883 on Sunday after Louisiana officials raised the number of confirmed fatalities in that state to 646, up from 579 at the last count on Friday. [Reuters]

"If you're here for the next Mardi Gras, you'd never think there was a hurricane. The streets will be full again," vowed Chellie Smith, who owns four bars in the French Quarter.

But his wife Tricia was less optimistic. "I'd say two years before we're back to the way it was," she said.

Across the Mississippi River, residents of the Algiers Point neighborhood were relieved to find their homes largely undamaged by the the worst-ever natural disaster to hit the United States.

"We're very thankful," said Gene Harris, 64, as he and his wife and son inspected their 19th century house. Harris had brought a generator on his return but was surprised to find both electricity and running water in the home he fled nearly three weeks ago.

"I may use this opportunity to buy some properties," he added, surveying the neighborhood. "Because (Algiers) did not sustain any damage, property values will go up even higher."

Nearer the levees designed to protect New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain on its northern border, search and rescue teams continued the grueling task of hunting for bodies in areas where flood waters stood only the day before.

"We found some human remains earlier today," said Ernie Rhodes, a fire chief from St. Charles, Missouri, and team leader for the state's task force, on Saturday.

"We're trained to do rescues, but this is different. But we're not giving up," he said, as one member of his squad crawled through the window of a house where water marks showed flood levels had risen to over six feet (1.8 metres).

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