What is the official Katrina death count?

[R.P.McMurphy]

Everything I’ve found is either a very conservative “official” early count or a wildly speculative “as many as” count.

Was there ever an official count? Is there an accurate estimated count. How bad was it?

[Q.E.D]

According to this article it stands at 1,695:

The official death toll for Katrina is 1,695 people - 1,464 in Louisiana, 231 in Mississippi - but that only hints at the true human cost. Like Chauppetta, many people have spent the last year searching for those who are considered missing. In Louisiana, the official number of missing is 135; in Mississippi, it’s 18.