Snapshot: Hurricane Katrina

Rescuing refugees

American Red Cross workers from across the country are converging on the devastated region in the agency's biggest-ever relief operation.

3000 rescued in New Orleans.

78,000 were already in emergency shelters.

Prison buses ferrying 23,000 refugees from Superdome to the Houston Astrodome 550km away.

Looting and lawlessness

More than 8200 part-time National Guard troops have been mobilised in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

10,000 additional National Guard troops are being ordered in to New Orleans.

1500 police are being pulled from the search-and-rescue mission to deal with looting and lawlessness.

Military lend hand

Army engineers were trying to plug New Orleans' breached levees with giant sandbags and concrete barriers.

They planned to use Chinook helicopters to drop 1350kg sandbags into the 150m gap in the failed floodwall.

Difficulties have arisen while trying to get the sandbags and dozens of 4.5m highway barriers to the site due to waterways blocked by loose barges, boats and large debris. Officials may find a barge to plug a large hole.

The Pentagon is sending Navy ships to the Gulf Coast with drinking water and other supplies. Hospital ship USNS Comfort, two helicopter-carriers, search helicopters and elite water-rescue teams are also on their way.

USNS Comfort is preparing to depart Baltimore.

The helicopter carrier USS Bataan and another warship are already conducting rescue missions in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The USS Iwo Jima, another helicopter carrier ship, is preparing to sail from Norfolk, Virginia, with three other ships and arrive in five days.

The federal effort

The Homeland Security Department is co-ordinating the federal Government's assistance.

More than 50 disaster medical assistance teams and more than 25 urban search and rescue teams, both from the Federal Emergency Management Administration, are on their way.

The Health and Human Services Department has declared a public health emergency in the region.

It has sent medical supplies, hospital beds and public health officers and is helping co-ordinate hospital efforts.

President George W. Bush said the Transportation Department has provided trucks to convey 5.4 million ready-to-eat meals, 13.4 million litres of water, 10,400 tarpaulins, 1.5 million kilos of ice, 144 generators, 20 containers of prepositioned disaster supplies, 135,000 blankets and 11,000 cots.

The Coastguard has rescued or assisted more than 1250 people and has called up three national strike teams to help remove hazardous materials.

About 4000 Coastguards are helping with relief efforts.

- AGENCIES