I've been reading a lot about suggestions to create searchable online databases so people can reach their families and so forth. I've been thinking.. What could be simpler than making it possible for people to call home themselves and to be in touch with family as they are moved around to various shelters?
Phone companies give away prepaid cell phones for free all the time. Most everyone knows how to use them. They can't be that expensive to manufacture and this is an emergency, after all. So.. What if we were to contact cell phone companies and ask them to donate prepaid cell phones? Sound like a good idea? Surely Verizon/Nokia/etc. can afford it. (How will they be charged? Will this create a problem or not? Are there models with long lasting batteries?)
UPDATE: More on this idea. I'm mostly thinking of people evacuated to other areas outside the zone hit by the hurricane, Baton Rouge, Houston, Dallas, etc. There won't be any problem with cell phone towers, I'd imagine.
Two, wouldn't it be useful in the longer term? Give each adult a cell phone, take down their name and the cell phone number, make up a database or directory so that others could find them if need be. You have to figure soon enough people will be moving around the cities, staying with family or friends, will be somewhat scattered with no fixed address and hard to get in touch with - ie agencies trying to get information to them as they move toward rebuilding will have a hard time doing so. This way they could call or send announcements via voice mail message to everyone in the directory.