In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we continue to see a lack of coordination between FEMA, local governments and relief agencies. Just ask
Eldo and Julia Allen of Harlingen, Texas. They've experienced it firsthand. More on the flip.
Photo AP/Joe Hermoso
According to this Arizona Daily Sun story:Some 18,000 people were reported lost in the wake of the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes; more than 4,200 are still reported missing in some fashion. The unprecedented number of displaced people prompted the federal government to expand the definition of missing to just about anyone who had a relative who didn't know where they were.
But despite scores of people calling around on behalf of government and nonprofit agencies, some victims, like the Allens, just fell through the cracks.
The Allen's son, John, had been living in Biloxi with his wife, Susan. He'd been working in construction. As Katrina bore down on the coast, the parents kept trying John's cellphone to no avail - reaching a recording that the number was not available.
By the second day after the storm hit, August 29, the parents called the Red Cross, which issued a case number and suggested that the parents put John and Susan's names on an online list of missing persons.
They got no leads from the Red Cross, so they tried FEMA. FEMA gave them a number to call to locate missing family. After several weeks, the Allens were advised by FEMA to try the local coroner.
They did. Immediately, the Coroner's office told them that John and Susan did not survive the storm. By now, it was December 19 and the bodies had already been cremated.
It's wishful thinking, I guess, that under this administration, we could see some kind of coordinated effort regarding this and other catastrophes. When I saw that picture of the Allens, I could see my own parents. I can imagine that there are probably hundreds more situations playing out like this in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast tragedies.
I also found a question and answer section from the AP here.
Here's a look at the first couple of Q&A's:
Questions And Answers About The Missing
(Source: The Associated Press)
Q: Who's in charge of the location efforts?
A: Immediately after Katrina hit, the Justice Department asked a couple of experienced nonprofit groups - the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the National Center for Missing Adults - to tackle the task. These groups have for decades worked closely with the Justice Department and the F-B-I to find missing people. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services set up the Find Family National Call Center based in Baton Rouge, La., to help families whose missing relatives may have died in the storm and make referrals to find other displaced people.
Q: How did authorities arrive at the number of missing? Are all those people really missing?
A: The centers for missing children and adults consulted with the Justice Department and decided that the scope of the storm justified expanding their definition of "missing." Only spouses, parents or legal guardians usually are allowed to file such reports, and only then if police are investigating. But searchers allowed aunts and uncles, grandparents and siblings, to file reports after the disaster to help locate evacuated family members. Of greatest concern were, and still are, small children and the disabled and elderly, especially those who lived in the hardest hit areas. Officials say they believe that most people listed are not in harm's way, though they can't be certain that everyone is safe. Everybody on the list will be considered missing until their safety
is confirmed.
What's it going to take to get a coordinated effort going?