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Some New Orleans Residents Return Despite Warnings

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Residents of one New Orleans' neighborhood began returning home Monday despite federal warnings that the hurricane-ravaged city still has health and safety problems.

The most urgent warning came today from President Bush, who said there is "deep concern" that Tropical Storm Rita will hit New Orleans and cause more flooding.

Mr. Bush said he shares the dream of Mayor Ray Nagin to get New Orleans up and running but said authorities must be what he called "realistic" about bringing people home.

Mr. Nagin has stood by his plan for evacuees to return one neighborhood at a time, starting with the relatively undamaged Algiers district Monday.

The head of the federal relief effort insists New Orleans is not ready to be re-populated. Concerns raised by Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen include the city's lack of clean drinking water and the weakened state of levees damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Some information for this story provided by AP and Reuters.

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