Note: Although Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita responses are covered by separate CWS appeals, #6280 and
6281 respectively, this update on the overall situation combines information
from each since each affected some of the same geographic areas and displaced
people throughout the same region. Information sources for this report
have not clearly distinguished the impact of the separate storms.
OVERALL SITUATION:
Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast August 29, as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph. The official death toll now stands at 1,302, and the damage estimated from $70 to $130 billion. Some one million persons were displaced, and hundreds of thousands remain dispersed throughout the U.S., including some 200,000 people staying in 65,000 rooms in 10,000 hotels or motels nationwide, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Additional thousands are reportedly still housed in Texas churches. Forty-three states are now eligible for federal assistance to help meet needs of these evacuees. More than 200,000 people also lost their jobs across the affected Gulf region.
ALABAMA
- 14 dead
- 112,000 registrations for federal assistance
- 5,000 homes damaged or destroyed
- Some 6,100 Alabamans displaced
- An estimated 30,000 evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi are staying in interim housing across southern Alabama
LOUISIANA (combined Katrina and Rita stats):
- 1,056 confirmed dead; more still unaccounted for
- More than 1.4 million registrations for federal assistance
- More than 280,000 housing units destroyed
- Severe environmental health risks for survivors and relief workers
- Infrastructure and utilities still affected in some areas
- Temporary roofs on more than 60,000 homes
MISSISSIPPI
- 228 confirmed dead
- More than 75,000 homes, including apartments, condos, and mobile homes destroyed in six coastal counties (Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, and George).
- Currently 37,500 people are staying in temporary housing units, including 1,400 individuals housed on a cruise ship
- Widespread loss of jobs, livelihoods, and income
- 500,000 Mississippians have applied for disaster assistance from FEMA
- Extensive destruction of poultry and livestock populations
- Temporary roofs installed on more than 41,000 homes
TEXAS
Texas sustained no damage from Hurricane Katrina, but it received and is still serving a massive number of evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi.
CWS Blankets and "Gift of the Heart" Kit Update
As of November 3, Church World Service has sent more than 60 shipments, valued $1.5 million, to more than seven states responding to the needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Materials sent include:
- 19,170 CWS Blankets (valued at $104,010)
- 76,958 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Health Kits (valued at $1,005,823)
- 8,775 CWS "Gift of the Heart" School Kits (valued at $115,395)
- 5,035 CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets (valued at $213,075)
- 808 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Kids Kits (valued at $19,392)
- 60 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Baby Kits (valued $2,100)
- 22 Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA) Medicine Boxes (valued $18,553)
- 18 UNICEF Recreational Kits (valued $3,600).
Recovery work by CWS Disaster Response and Recovery Liaisons (DRRLs) (Including CWS Seed Grants to Long-term Recovery Organizations)
Alabama:
DRRL - Tim Johnson
Volunteer Mobile, which CWS helped establish following 2004's Hurricane Ivan, has expanded its geographic coverage. A seed grant for additional services to the Bayou La Batre area is anticipated.
Louisiana:
DRRLs - Lura Cayton and Charlie Moeller
In Baton Rouge, organizations are planning long-term recovery programs to meet the needs of more than 200,000 evacuees. DRRLs have worked with several local social services agencies engaged in relief efforts.
Terrebonne Readiness Assistance Coalition (TRAC) has expanded its normal services to include relief and long-term recovery case management for families in Terrebonne and LaForche Parishes. CWS has provided a $10,000 grant.
Louisiana Interchurch Conference continues to coordinate the faith community (local and judicatory levels) long-term recovery planning. The council is also convening discussions among multi-state metro and state councils/conferences of churches. CWS has provided a $5,000 grant.
St. Tammany Parish and Washington Parish have each had initial organizing meetings on long-term recovery. Charlie Moeller is working on site beginning November 8.
Lura Cayton is expanding DRRL long-term organizing work to the New Orleans area beginning November 8.
Mississippi:
DRRLs - Tim Johnson and Cherri Baer
The Interfaith Disaster Task Force, a long-term recovery organization formed and supported by CWS in 1999, is reforming and anticipates leading fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and spiritual/emotional care in the three-county area of Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock. CWS has provided a $5,000 grant.
Jackson County has established a long-term recovery committee that has held initial meetings and named leadership. Regular meetings are scheduled for Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier. Contact: Palma Chandler, 228-475-1103.
Harrison and Hancock Counties are still conducting regular relief coordination meetings while transitioning to long-term recovery.
Disaster Recovery Services of George County has strong leadership and is meeting regularly. A case management training and coordination event for the entire southern Mississippi region was held Sunday, November 6, at 2 p.m., at Gateway UMC, Lyman, MS.
Long-term recovery groups in various stages of development, both emerging and defining program and mission, are meeting regularly in Stone and Pearl River Counties. More information will be following.
South-central Mississippi:
DRRLs - Tom Davis and John Sims
Rebuild East Mississippi has formed and will address long-term recovery needs in Kemper, Lauderdale, and Clark Counties. Church World Service provided an early relief $5,000 grant to the Meridian Ministerial Alliance. The group meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m., at the Wesley House, in Meridian, MS.
Pine Belt Long-term Recovery will address long-term recovery needs in Jones, Wayne, Jasper, and Scott Counties.
The Jackson Long-term Recovery Task Force will address the needs of residents and evacuees living in Rankin, Hines, and Madison Counties.Other counties with early meetings for development of long-term recovery include Covington, Jefferson Davis, Greene, Perry, Pike, and Walthall.
Texas:
DRRL - Heriberto Martinez
DRRL organizing and liaison with state and federal resources has supported work with evacuees in permanent or temporary relocation in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. CWS supported the relief and relocation work of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston with a $5,000 grant.
Relocation Update (Hurricane Katrina only):
Since the end of September, CWS/IRP's Hurricane Katrina Relocation Program has provided assistance to evacuees through eight CWS/IRP affiliates and the CWS/Miami office, covering a ten-state geographic area (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia). These offices are utilizing their established links to churches, the community, and service providers to train and organize faith groups and coordinate case management services to help evacuees access benefits; find employment opportunities, health care, and affordable housing; enroll children in school, and integrate into community life.
To date, the program has directly assisted more than 3,500 evacuees. Through its training in local churches engaged in relocation activities, CWS is indirectly assisting even more families. More than half of the 3,500 being assisted are in Texas, due to the large numbers of evacuees there. There are also sizeable number of evacuees who have been assisted through offices in Georgia and North and South Carolina.
Spiritual and Emotional Care:
On November 8 in Houston, CWS Interfaith Trauma Response Training (ITRT) and Spiritual and Emotional Resource Team (SECR) is holding a seminar and debriefing event for more than 50 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastors and their spouses from Louisiana and Texas. More ITRT/SECR workshops will be provided throughout the Gulf Coast region in future months.
Media Contacts:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin (24/7), 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net