What's left? City will decide,

Privately, city officials said 30,000 to 50,000 houses will be deemed tear-downs. But even that figure could prove low, as city agencies are being more liberal in their interpretation than their federal counterparts, according to City Council members. It remains unclear which agency will make the final call on homes facing possible demolition, or if it will be the exclusive provenance of the homeowner.

"If it was up to the federal agencies, they'd tear down most of the city, based on what I'm hearing," council President Oliver Thomas said.

The city is posting red, yellow or green stickers on homes. They've just begun, and so far there are few ed stickers (unliveable), but they haven't got to the Ninth Ward and Gentilly yet.