Quotables

"I can only imagine that this is what Hiroshima looked like 60 years ago."

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour after touring by helicopter the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in his state.

"It's downtown Baghdad."

Denise Bollinger of Philadelphia, Pa., and a tourist last week in New Orleans, on the looting of stores in the French Quarter during the chaos following the hurricane. "We don't like looters one bit," said Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco of the armed gangs moving around the city. "But first and foremost is search and rescue."

"It's no big deal; getting wet is not like dying."

Harold Johnson of New Orleans on the wet and slippery floors inside the Superdome, home to thousands of refugees last week. The floors became wet because of condensation caused by heat inside the building.

"You can't find a slice of white bread in the city, but you can still buy beer."

Sasha Gayer of New Orleans on visiting an open bar on Bourbon Street while stores were closed in advance of the hurricane. Ms. Gayer had tried and failed to leave the city by train and decided to go to the bar: "This is a lot more fun than sitting at home listening to apocalyptic media reports."