Power will be restored first to the pumps (storm water) along with the sewage treatment facilities and the police / fire and city hall and the jails. So, something is up with this order. Dry areas will not have a significant problem with power and sewage being brought back on line. Only the flooded areas need to be completely evacuated at this time.
City officials will need a place to stay close to downtown as recovery continues. I'm sure there are a few officials that live in the dry areas (west of NO across the river) that will be crucial to recovery and they can share their homes with other city employees that were flooded. Funny thing I've noticed, except for debris removal, the west sections of NO (across the river to the West) is where some of the power comes from to the city I believe and the MSM isn't saying a lot about the condition of that particular area. Satellite photos show it dry. Something's up with respect to the potential abuse of power and LA officials.
Link to CNN sat photos
I wonder why the police said the city was "destroyed"? And I thought it was going to take "months" to get the water out, but it sounds like it's getting dryer by the hour, and the water's gone down 2-3 feet in the deepest areas.
(It was funny on F&F this am when the affable eva braun of morning cable, Ed Hill was trying to bust on Julie Gerberdine, hea of the CDC about "what about the effect of all this polluted water on Lake Ponchartrain?" Julie kept talking about the hope is dilution will help a lot, but the real answer, of course, is that the water has got to go, and the environmental impact is secondary at this time.)
Ed Hill should go home and take care of her litter.