President Bush is touring the flood-damaged streets of New Orleans Monday, during his third visit to the U.S. Gulf Coast since the region was devastated by Hurricane Katrina two weeks ago.
Mr. Bush flew to New Orleans late Sunday and spent the night aboard a naval vessel that brought helicopters to the battered city. Early today, the president received a detailed briefing on recovery efforts by Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen, and was then to tour the city in a military convoy and meet with local officials.
Later, he heads to Gulfport, Mississippi, another city hard-hit by Hurricane Katrina.
The official death toll from the storm now stands at more than 400 (including 197 bodies recovered in Louisiana and over 200 dead in Mississippi), but is expected to grow considerably higher.
Louisiana officials are complaining that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is not moving quickly enough to provide temporary housing for the some 58,000 displaced residents still in emergency shelters across the state.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
