Gustav refugees return to New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- New Orleans residents returning to their homes say they have found a mix of destruction and blessings as the city struggles to get back on its feet.

The first returning Hurricane Gustav refugees started to cleanup even before electricity was restored, stores reopened and health care available in some areas, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Thursday.

But city officials were upbeat about opportunities coming from the day early reopening of New Orleans after mandatory evacuation orders as Gustav approached.

"Most of your beautiful homes that you all have worked so hard to rebuild are standing strong," City Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis said.

"What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours," Mayor Ray Nagin said during a Wednesday news conference. "The picture today is much better than it was yesterday. That extra day we had been talking about: tremendous."

Nagin described city services he expected to be operating soon including clean up of fallen branches on the streets and resumption of trash collection as well as storm drain cleaning. New Orleans' 311 telephone service is also back up allowing citizens to report problems with traffic lights and street lamps or other issues, he said.