Medary.com

New Orleans officials start reviewing the damage to the Superdome:

Damage to the structure could hit $400 million, and it's unlikely the facility could be used for at least a year.

Superdome Commission Chairman Tim Coulon said the Dome will hire engineers and other consultants to assess the structural stability of the stadium. That will be done in the next few weeks, Coulon said.

Besides flooding, the Dome lost part of its roof as more than 20,000 evacuees huddled there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"We have to do a damage assessment first,'' Coulon said. "It is premature to write the Dome off. But there has been substantial damage.''

Although a precise figure will not be available for weeks, damage may total $400 million, Coulon said.