Officials in New Orleans (search) braced for what could be a staggering death toll Thursday by readying 25,000 body bags — as one rescue team made the grim discovery of 30 bodies in a suburban nursing home.
Soldiers toting M-16s strengthened their grip on the swamped city as fears grew about the risks posed by the stinking floodwaters. Across miles of ravaged neighborhoods of clapboard houses, grand estates and housing projects, workers struggled to find corpses and persuade the city's last stubborn residents to leave.
"Right now, human life is paramount so I'm concentrating all my power on getting out people who want to leave," said Police Chief Eddie Compass.
President Bush pledged the government would "cut through the red tape" to provide an immediate $2,000 in disaster assistance to families displaced by Hurricane Katrina and make sure they continue receiving Medicaid, food stamps, jobless compensation, and other federal benefits.
He designated Friday as a national day of prayer and remembrance for victims across the Gulf Coast.
"We have much more work to do," the president said. "But the people that have been hurt by this storm know that — need to know that the government is going to be with you for the long haul."
Michael Keegan, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (search), said rescuers in New Orleans were finding more and more residents willing to leave. "Some are finally saying, 'I've had enough.' They're getting dehydrated. They are running out of food," Keegan said.
Government tests confirmed that the floodwaters are thick with sewage-related bacteria in amounts at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety limits. The muck is believed to contain E. coli (search), certain viruses and a type of cholera-like bacteria.
"If you haven't left the city yet, you must do so," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She urged anyone coming into contact with the water to scrub up with soap and water.
At least four deaths among storm evacuees have been attributed to infected wounds, said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the CDC
