I wrote two articles, just to list resources for people who survived the storm. Because so many of those who did not evacuate or were caught by the storm in shelters were families like those in my neighborhood who stayed behind to care for vulnerable family members, I collected links to sites for families of people with disabilities.

There are people in other affected states who did not see the Red Cross of any federal help for days. It is clear now that something went wrong with coordination of information and rescue efforts. I saw interviews of police officers, medical staff and others on the front line. No food, water or supplies had been made available to *them* in the first days following the storm, and may not have come today.

Hospitals and emergency services should have been prioritized to receive water, food, and fuel for emergency power. Medical teams in our area were ready to help out days ago but were not called in at the beginning of the crisis and some may still be waiting for the call.

I don't wonder now about the failure to evacuate so many people. There is nowhere for them to go now that they are homeless, where would they have been evacuated to if they had resources, transportation, or government help to try to leave before the storm?

Thousands did go to shelters like the sports stadium in New Orleans to wait out the storm. It did not sound as if there were sufficient supplies brought in to support the number of people who sought shelter even before the flooding.

Now we need to see what effect the displaced low income people will have on resources that were stretched and being cut for existing low income neighborhoods in the cities where they have found refuge.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Hurricane Katrina - Help the Families
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35205.asp

Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief - Children with Disabilities,
Health Issues or other Special Needs (has been updated daily)
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35261.asp