I heard the 1 to 2000 figure.....but I think they meant living and dead. I could be wrong.
Keep in mind that estimates from FEMA indicated a cat5 near NO could kill 50-60k. Even if evacuations went flawlessly, there were a lot of people in places they shouldn't have stayed.
The images/stories sound an awful lot like the 1900 Galveston Hurricane
http://www.1900storm.com/