Louisiana wants 40,000 troops

U.S. Congress to convene;

New Orleans mayor issues SOS


Thursday, September 1, 2005; Posted: 6:46 p.m. EDT (22:46 GMT)

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco said Thursday she has requested the mobilization of 40,000 National Guard troops to restore order and assist in relief efforts in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

She said that by Friday, 12,000 National Guard members will have arrived in Louisiana and that sheriff's deputies from as far away as Michigan are on the way. (See video of National Guard efforts to rein in violence -- 3:14)

"They have been issued an oath of office and now have arrest powers in the state of Louisiana," she said.

Blanco said she also has requisitioned hundreds of buses from state schools to get the evacuees out of the city. (See video of residents trying to leave -- 2:00)

The breach at New Orleans' 17th Street Canal is under repair, and engineers expect to close the front of the canal at Lake Pontchartrain by Thursday evening, said Walter Baumy of the Army Corps of Engineers there. (Map)

There are accessibility problems with a second breach, he said.

Blanco described the project Wednesday as an "engineering nightmare." (See video of Blanco discussing rescue and recovery efforts -- 3:09)

State officials now say "thousands" of people have died in flooded New Orleans and its surrounding parishes, but no official count has been compiled, Blanco said.

Meanwhile, New Orleans' mayor, Ray Nagin, issued "a desperate SOS," saying that violence and lawlessness have overtaken the city, and hope is fading for the tens of thousands of starving survivors still stranded. (Full story)

Sniper fire has prevented Charity Hospital from evacuating its patients. The hospital has no electricity or water, food consists of a few cans of vegetables, and the patients had to be moved to upper floors because of looters. (Full story) (See video of a city sinking in chaos -- 2:54)

Meanwhile, Congress will return a few days early from its summer recess -- most likely Friday -- to begin work on legislation dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Members are expected to pass by unanimous consent a $10 billion request to keep the Federal Emergency Management Agency operating as it tries to help the hundreds of thousands of victims of the killer storm. FEMA has enough money in its coffers for the short term, but will need billions more to deal with the fallout of the disaster.

Thursday afternoon, rain began to fall on the thousands of people gathered under an overhang at the city's convention center. A National Guard helicopter dropped MREs -- meals ready to eat -- and some water bottles.

CNN's Chris Lawrence described "many, many" bodies, inside and outside the facility on New Orleans' Riverwalk. "There are multiple people dying at the convention center," he said. (Watch report on the desperate conditions there -- 4:36)

Federal response
FEMA says it has sent 1,400 medical personnel and 1,800 urban search and rescue personnel to the devastated areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The teams include specialists in searching collapsed buildings, giving medical attention to injured people and animals, and providing mortuary services.

President Bush promised that relief was on the way and urged Americans to contribute.

"The federal government will do its part, but the private sector needs to do its part as well," Bush said. (Watch Bush's speech -- 8:39.)

In addition to marshaling national resources, he has enlisted the help of his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton to spearhead an international relief effort, similar to the one they undertook for victims of last year's tsunami in South Asia. (Full story)

Meanwhile, corporations have responded by contributing millions of dollars in relief aid. (See list)

Celebrities are holding benefits and concerts to raise money, as well. (Full story)

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