Initial Search Finds Far Fewer Bodies Than Expected in New Orleans

I'll believe it when it is independently verified.--Dictynna

By SEWELL CHAN and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

Published: September 9, 2005

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 9 - A preliminary house-to-house search in neighborhoods ruined by Hurricane Katrina yielded far fewer bodies than expected, officials said today, raising hopes that the ultimate death toll might be considerably less than then 10,000 the mayor and others had predicted.

City officials backed down from their threat to forcibly evacuate the remaining residents who had refused repeated entreaties by police officers and National Guard members to leave. But the officials warned that both the public's health and the city's ability to begin rebuilding would be hurt the longer residents refused to leave.