Mississippi death toll could reach hundreds, officials say today

[sabra]

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050905/NEWS0110/50905015/1260

Mississippi death toll could reach hundreds, officials say today

The death toll on the Mississippi Gulf Coast could reach into the hundreds, authorities acknowledged today as refrigerated trucks serve as makeshift morgues.

As many as 300 may be dead in Bay St. Louis and 500 in Pass Christian, two towns devastated by Hurricane Katrina, former state Supreme Court Justice Chuck McRae said today.

McRae has spent recent days driving gasoline from Jackson to the Coast to take friends who are running generators for power. "Down there, gas is liquid gold," he said.

...

"It looks worse than a war zone," he said. "There's not the first house standing. They're all flat."

[Zynx]

1. Plus 2000ish in Gulfport and 1000ish in Biloxi

Total Mississippi death toll will be over 4,000.

[Junkdrawer]

3. I'm watching this one...FEMA's M.O. says we'll get a WAY lower number...

but let's see what the say....

[CountAllVotes]

4. sure that's right ...

They cannot count the ones that will and are being eaten by the rats, snakes, alligators,etc. that live in the swamps.

[wellstone_democrat]

2. How can Gulf port be GONE

and only a few hundred? That Barbour's payment for playing nice with the maniac in DC? He keeps the "numbers" down and he gets to keep his state?


Bet it is!

[Zynx]

6. Bad headline - article estimates 800 without Gulfport OR Biloxi

[daleo]

5. It sounds like it will reach thousands.

Lowballing estimates now will just make it worse later, unless they plan to cover up deaths. I suppose you could cover up the deaths of homeless and other people not well integrated into families and communities, but it wouldn't work for the vast majority of the population.