Evacuees Return To Power Outages

In Metairie, La., Stacey Stiel, right, who runs Stiel Insurance and has no electricity at her home, stocks up on ice. (By Jahi Chikwendiu -- The Washington Post)
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"If we do need more, I know we'll ask for them," he said. Allison said any delay was caused by the "size and scope of the damage" from Gustav. "There are very few, if any, areas of the state that were not affected," he said.

Hospitals without power and running on generators are either being provided additional generators or having critical-care patients moved to other facilities, according to Jolie Adams, spokeswoman for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.

Chris Wormuth, a doctor at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales, La., said he is concerned about the 100-bed hospital and clinic, which is using emergency generators.

"We're open for the moment," Wormuth said. "But how long we can stay open we're not sure."

At least 10 people were killed in the storm.

To forestall the looting that plagued the city after Katrina, 1,500 National Guard troops patrolled New Orleans on Wednesday, guarding gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies and handing out ice at some locations.

At one of the few open gas stations in downtown New Orleans, owner Harry Leslie surveyed a line of cars and remarked, "I am shocked I'm this busy. I guess I am one of the few open." But he said his supply is running low. "I'll stay open as long as I have gas, but it is not looking good."

As residents returned to spoiled food and shuttered grocery stores, relief organizations began moving in. Churches that have power are beginning feeding efforts, and the Salvation Army is operating 65 feeding trucks along the Gulf Coast, a spokesman said, with the ability to feed 560,000 people a day.

Good Samaritans were also in action.

David Mansel took his dog, Clifford, to fill gas cans, then drive along Interstate 10 to help stranded people. "I am not looking for the money. I just remembered from last time hearing how people ran out of gas."

Within a few hours, he came upon a couple trying to get back from Mississippi. They had run out of gas, and Mansel gave them five gallons for their van.

During Bush's brief appearance in Baton Rouge, he said his administration had approved a request by Citgo to release 250,000 barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.