New Orleans more than half pre-Katrina count

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The city's population has surpassed half of its count before Hurricane Katrina emptied the city, according to a new report based on utility hookups.

New Orleans gained more than 30,000 residents between July 2006 and March 2007, for a total population of about 255,140, according to the report by local demographer Greg Rigamer.

"The trend is positive," said Raphael Rabalais, senior planner for Rigamer's firm, GCR & Associates.

The Census Bureau estimated the population in July 2006 at about 223,000.

Whether the city reaches its pre-Katrina population of about 455,000 remains to be seen. It had been losing population for years before the Aug. 29, 2005, storm flooded about 80 percent of the city.