New Orleans Mayor Gives Update On Hurricane Preparations

August 31, 2008 11:46 a.m. EST

New Orleans, LA (AHN) - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in a press conference shortly before noon ET gave an update on evacuating the city, announced plans for the continuation of government, established a curfew and warned potential looters.

Nagin announced that the city-assisted evacuation had managed to help tens of thousands of residents to leave by bus, train and plane and that when the time came that the city would help those evacuees return home.

He also issued a dusk to dawn curfew starting at sunset Sunday and continuing until the storm threat was over.

Announcing that he would remain in the city with a skeleton staff to run the city, Nagin said that it was too dangerous for the entire city government to remain there, so he was taking steps to ensure the continuation of government.

Nagin announced that was asking City Council members to evacuate to Baton Rouge and set up an auxiliary government there, so they would have the necessary quorum to pass any resolutions or ordinances that might be needed.

Although Hurricane Gustav has weakened to a Category 3 storm, it is forecast to hit as a Category 4 and "tropical force winds could hit the city as early as Monday morning," Nagin said.

Speaking to anyone who might be tempted to loot homes or businesses, Nagin said that unlike Katrina, that police had orders not to tolerate it.

He has issued an order to jail any looters, and send them directly into the general population of the state prison, not the city or county jail.

"You will go directly to Angola, and God bless you," Nagin said, in a reference to the dangers inmates face from other inmates in a prison known for housing some of the nation's most hardened and violent prisoners.