Official: Death Toll in Thousands

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt (search) said Sunday the death toll from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath is in the thousands, the first time a federal official has acknowledged what many feared.

Leavitt said he couldn't provide a precise number on the impact of the devastation, but when asked if it was in the thousands, he said in a televised interview," "I think it's evident it's in the thousands."