Mardi Gras organizers are vowing to hold the city's signature most celebrated party in February, despite two devastating hurricanes.

Tourism officials and parade hosts appeared before the City Council to demand the annual pre-Lent celebration returns to the city this winter.

"We have to do this," agreed Councilwoman Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson. "We can't afford to miss a beat."

Mardi Gras generates more than a $1 billion in economic activity, and the raucous celebration draws an estimated 1 million people each year.

While many tourists center their Mardi Gras season activities on Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, none of the major Mardi Gras parades start in the Quarter because of its narrow streets and low overhead hangings. Instead, major parades originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter.

Most of this area was under several feet of water. Organizers feel a celebration of all the city has overcome is what the people need.