Gov.: New Orleans to be evacuated

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco Tuesday said flooding and deteriorating conditions will force authorities to relocate thousands in shelters out of the city.

Breaches in two levees allowed water from Lake Pontchartrain to inundate 80 percent of the city that thought it had escaped the worst of Hurricane Katrina. Canal Street, the city's main street, was under water and roving bands of looters smashed storefronts in the presence of overwhelmed police officers despite a declaration of martial law.

A break in a 50-inch water main and power outages left the city without drinking water. Thousands of homeless headed to the Superdome, the shelter of last resort.

"We're going to try to get those people relocated as soon as we possibly can get a plan together," Blanco told an afternoon news conference.

"A lot of people lost their lives, and we still don't have any idea, because the focus continues to be on rescuing those who have survived."

Federal emergency management officials said the agency will have to feed and house tens of thousands of people for months.