This was president Aaron Broussard, the head of Jefferson parish, a suburb of New Orleans, some 350,000 of whose residents out of a population of half a million fled the city in advance of Katrina's arrival.
Yesterday was the first time they were allowed back in and Mr Broussard, who has emerged as one of the most outspoken local officials since the disaster, was making sure that they knew what was awaiting them.
"Think of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz," he said. "We're not in Kansas, Toto. This is a new world. It looks more like Somalia or Iraq. They [the national guard] are carrying weapons you have only seen in the movies."
As for rotting food left in fridges, "dig a hole, bury it in the garden. Plant a rosebush on it if you want. We don't want wild critters getting at it."
He urged people not to stay until the area was rebuilt and suggested they use the radio to keep informed. "It'll be just like the 30s and 40s with the whole family gathered round the radio."
As the red Louisiana sun came up over the Mississippi river, and as egrets and dragonflies flew overhead, the residents of Jefferson parish were already waiting for the 6am curfew to be lifted so that they could return and see the state of their homes.
The lines of cars seeking to re-enter on the single road allowed to them stretched for mile upon mile back through the neighbouring St James parish and on for 20 miles beyond.
"I've been living there for 51 years," said Joyce Marks, who was being driven home by her daughter. "But we're just going to have a look and leave. There's no water and electricity."
Billy Alsaleh, who was also returning to inspect the damage, said he did not know if he would stay or go. "I work for Chase Manhattan [bank] so I could work anywhere but my wife is in pre-med so I don't know what we'll do."
Mohammed Jama, who works for a cab company, said he was just going back to get some papers. He did not know whether he would be able to stay. "I don't know what I'll do, there's not a lot of work unless you're in construction. I was staying in a hotel in Baton Rouge but I ran out of money."
April Whitstein said her return trip was to pick up some clothes and she would leave immediately.
Some Jefferson County residents were already planning a new life elsewhere. "We may relocate," said Javetta Jackson, 25, who with her three-year-old daughter Aaliyah has been staying at a refuge in Baton Rouge. "I like the northern states. I like the seasons. I've always wanted to live in Baltimore so maybe we'll go there. It's an opportunity, isn't it?"
For those who did decide to return during the 12-hour window permitted yesterday, there was a chance to assess whether their homes were saveable and to estimate how long it would take before they could return to live.
Some hardy souls were deciding to stay and join those who had never left despite the water in some places fetid with the smell of bloated dead animals. The local radio station, WLL, advised people to put a spot of Vicks Vapour Rub under their nose if they did not have a bandanna to keep the stench at bay.
Further east in New Orleans city, the mayor, Ray Nagin, said that the next few days would give the first indications of how many people had died. "We have about 40,000 unaccounted for," he said. "I hope most of them got out but I really don't know."
He said it was unclear how many had died as a result of Katrina and how many as a result of the slowness of the response of the rescue operation.
He said that now was not the time for residents to try to return.
"There are mosquitoes biting, dead bodies floating in the water. Let us get those dead bodies out before we start bringing people back."
He said it would be a month to six weeks before he felt that people could start to return and even that estimate depended on how swiftly the water drained away.
Deputy police chief Warren Riley reinforced the message: "There are no jobs. There are no homes to go to, no hotels to go to, there is absolutely nothing here.
"We advise people that this city has been destroyed, it has completely been destroyed."
The mayor added that the city would eventually be reoccupied. "We're going to rebuild this city as a shining example to the nation."
