The door-to-door search for victims of Hurricane Katrina ended in Louisiana with a death toll that stood at 972, substantially less than the 10,000 victims some state officials had feared. Mississippi's death toll remained at 221.

A private company hired by the state to remove bodies was on call if any others were found.

Authorities said Tuesday the death toll will probably continue to rise, but they felt the final number would be well below the dire projections. Mayor Ray Nagin said soon after Hurricane Katrina struck that the New Orleans alone could have 10,000 dead.