OK. I don't really know what the fuss and argument really is at the core here, except that Freepers are fighting each other.
Here's some stats:
MISS
Population (1990 census). 2,586,443--rank, 31st state. Urban, 47.3%; rural, 52.7%. Persons per square mile, 54.8 (persons per square kilometer, 21.1)--rank, 31st state.
Extent. Area, 47,689 square miles (123,514 square kilometers), including 456 square miles (1,181 square kilometers) of water surface (32nd state in size).
Population (1990 census). 4,238,216--rank, 21st state. Urban, 68.6%; rural, 31.4%. Persons per square mile, 87.3 (persons per square kilometer, 33.7)--rank, 21st state.
Extent. Area, 48,523 square miles (125,674 square kilometers), including 3,989 square miles (10,331 square kilometers) of water surface (31st state in size).
Elevation. Highest, Driskill Mountain, 535 feet (163 meters), near Bienville; lowest, New Orleans, 5 feet (2 meters) below sea level; average, 100 feet (30 meters).
Population (1990 census). 4,062,608--rank, 22nd state. Urban, 60.0%; rural, 40.0%. Persons per square mile, 80 (persons per square kilometer, 30.9)--rank, 26th state.
Extent. Area, 51,705 square miles (133,915 square kilometers), including 938 square miles (2,429 square kilometers) of water surface (29th state in size).
Pick a % (percentage of these 3 states), say 5-15% of the square milage, and multiply that number by the persons per square mile. Throw in property damage of Florida, with its 4(?) dead, and Georgia and Virginia. Then we might be able to talk about a number of dead or injured. Now, whether this is closer to 3 or 5 or 15% is arguable, and whether this method is too broad is sketchy, but, still, we begin to be able to get an estimate. If we can get raw stats on square milage on pop/sq mile for cities and towns and bayous and rural areas, then, we're really talking.
The number rises as the days go by, since it looks like a lot of these folks tried to ride it out.
My 2 cents.
Source: http://www.really-fine.com/geography.html
I forgot. the MISS population is listed 1st, the LA pop 2nd, the AL 3rd.
My apologies.
You can get the 2000 census numbers for all questions at www.census.gov, they include population density. I would do it but I am at work.