Residents have already reported hundreds of looters, armed robberies and car-jackings. One report states that a gang commandeered a telephone company van to carry out robberies. Quieter parts of the city that escaped the floods have also begun to seem dangerous. Armed bands of young men have been seen attacking people and attempting to rape women.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has warned lawbreakers that extra troops have arrived in the city. She has issued a statement saying that more troops are on the way, and 'they're locked and loaded.'
Also read: No water, no food in Katrina-hit areas
In the picture: Evacuees from the New Orleans area rush for donated clothing at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Red Cross officials claimed 5,000 evacuees had made it to the Astrodome by early afternoon. Thousands of people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina will be moved to the stadium as shelters, including the Superdome in New Orleans, become untenable.
Photograph: Dave Einsel/Getty Images