St. Bernard Parish officials announced Sunday that residents in certain parts of the parish may start returning to their homes to assess damage Monday.

Residents living between Packenham Street and Verret in eastern St. Bernard Parish will be allowed to enter with a valid ID. Residents south of Judge Perez Drive may also return.

Residents who live in parts of the parish still flooded, including the entire area stretching from the Orleans Parish line west to Packenham Drive in Chalmette, will have to wait a little longer. Areas north of Judge Perez Drive are off limits at this time.

Parish spokesman Steve Cannizaro says flooded areas are being pumped out now, and should be open for access in a couple days.

The re-entry was scheduled to begin days ago but had to be postponed because of Hurricane Rita.

Officials in Louisiana are preparing between 100 and 120 boats to search sodden sugercane and rice fields. A spokesman for the Abbeville Fire Department says as many as 800 people may still need rescuing in the parish's far-flung regions closer to the Gulf of Mexico.

On NBC's "Today" show, the mayor of Port Arthur says he's among those who no longer have a home. Oscar Ortiz says his home was destroyed by fire. He only recently paid it off.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry is asking hurricane evacuees to continue to stay away from that state for now.

In particular, Perry said Sunday there is no power, water or other services in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange. He says those areas "really got whacked" by Hurricane Rita, but the rest of the state "missed a bullet."

The chief sheriff's deputy in Jasper County, Texas, says there are almost as many trees down as there are standing.

More than a million customers in four states lost power. Downed trees are hampering rescue efforts.