THIS MAY BE GOOD NEWS:

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) — Authorities said their systematic sweep of New Orleans to get voluntary evacuees out was nearly complete, and far fewer bodies than expected or feared were found during the operation.

Estimates of the death toll have ranged up to 10,000.

“I think there’s some encouragement in what we’ve found in the initial sweeps that some of the catastrophic deaths that some people predicted may not have occurred,” said Terry Ebbert, New Orleans homeland security chief.

Let’s hope it turns out that way.

UPDATE: An I told you so. And another.