Nearly a dozen Hilton hotels in the New Orleans area were closed Wednesday after city officials made the decision to evacuate thousands of storm refugees in the wake of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

The Beverly Hills-based company, which operates the Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels, said late Tuesday that there were no serious injuries or major structural damage reported at its hotels, but there were water leaks, broken windows and stucco damage. Many of its hotels in the direct path of the hurricane had already not been accepting new arrivals until they were closed following the city evacuation.

Hilton’s downtown Doubletree will remain closed through August 2006. Its Hilton Garden Inns in the French Quarter and at the convention center will stay shuttered through Dec. 31, the company said.

The majority of the company’s New Orleans locations, such as the Hilton hotels on the river and at the airport, will reopen once city officials deem the area safe again.

Hilton said guests of the closed hotels would be transported by bus to company hotels in Baton Rouge, where they could be met by friends and family. The buses will continue to hotels in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio as well to help guests reconnect with their families.

Hilton waived cancellation fees for transient business at storm zone hotels for arrivals through Friday, and also waived group cancellation damages for meetings through Nov. 30 at hotels in the New Orleans area.

The company said that its only hotel that actually closed immediately after the hurricane, the Doubletree Coconut Grove in Miami, should be back in business on Sept. 4.

Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana and the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29 and through Florida on Aug. 25 and 26.