New Orleans ? Three homes were torn down in New Orleans Monday — the first of 118 that are planned to come down.

The homes were all wrecked beyond repair during Hurricane Katrina. They were in three of the worst-hit neighborhoods, where floodwaters lifted buildings off their foundations and blocked streets or other rights of way.

Activists had sued late last year to stop the demolition process, fearing homeowners wouldn’t have a chance to pick through their belongings.

City officials agreed in January to let the homeowners know, saying they wanted to quickly tear down only homes that posed an imminent threat to safety.

The demolition is considered a key step in the cleanup process and could lead to more bodies being discovered.