Evacuees Leaving 2 Cruise Ships

NEW ORLEANS — Hundreds of hurricane evacuees who have been living on two cruise ships in New Orleans began clearing out Wednesday, while people on a third vessel in St. Bernard Parish spent the day fighting to stay put.

The ships have served as home for victims of Hurricane Katrina -- mostly police and other emergency workers -- who lost their homes in the Aug. 29 storm. The evacuees were told they had to leave by March 1 because the ships must return to private service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.

On Wednesday, 559 people remained on the New Orleans ships, and FEMA reserved hotel rooms for those who needed them, agency spokesman David Passey said. Early on, almost 2,000 people were living on the ships.

Residents of the Scotia Prince in St. Bernard Parish sued on Friday to force FEMA to keep the vessel docked there for another six months. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Michael Ginart Jr., said he hoped to persuade FEMA that the Scotia Prince was providing the storm-ravaged parish “special services, not just occupancy.”

By Tuesday night, however, 12 people were aboard the ship, Passey said. The ship had held as many as 900 evacuees. A judge was expected to rule in the case by Friday.

Passey said all the police and emergency workers and their families would have a FEMA-sponsored place to live, but some might have to stay in hotels for a while. The agency has been working with the Police Foundation of New Orleans to try to find apartments in the city for them, Passey said.

Bob Stellingworth, the foundation’s executive director, said the group had placed more than 100 officers in apartments without FEMA’s help.

Meanwhile, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and a field of challengers signed up Wednesday for a mayoral race that is likely to focus on the incumbent’s handling of city efforts to rebuild after Katrina.

“It’s official: I am in, to dispel any other urban myths,” Nagin said after signing up.

About a dozen candidates have said they’ll run against Nagin, who was popular before the storm inflicted enormous damage on the city.

The challengers include Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and Audubon Institute chief executive Ron Forman. Both were once allies of Nagin.

Landrieu is the son of former New Orleans Mayor Maurice Edwin “Moon” Landrieu and the brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.