by Kevin Caruso

September 6, 2005

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin wants all of the holdout residents to leave New Orleans as soon as possible, so he issued an order which authorizes public safety officers to forcefully remove such residents.

"[We will] compel the evacuation of all persons ... regardless of whether such persons are on private property or do not desire to leave," said Nagin.

The floodwater has been tested and there are high levels of E. Coli bacteria (as well as dangerous chemicals), thus a serious health risk exists for holdout residents.

The order applies to all residents except those in Algiers on the West Bank side of Orleans Parish.