TEXAS GULF COAST VOAD DAILY UPDATE

9-27-05

Shelter Information:

• An agency from the Dallas area reported that evacuees were being forced to leave shelters with no where to go.
• Montgomery County shelters are open and admitting evacuees.
• The Woodlands United Methodist Church is accepting evacuees.
• There are shelters operating in Baptist churches in Willis and New Caney.
• George R. Brown is still accepting returning Katrina evacuees who have no where else to go, but this facility is not expected to continue as a shelter much longer.
• Red Cross has information on the location of shelters. It was reported that the Red Cross phone lines were jammed with callers, making it difficult to get information.
• At today’s mayor’s meeting in Houston, the need for a large local shelter was discussed. Assistance from voluntary organizations will most likely be sought to provide additional shelter needs.
• Red Cross has opened seven shelters in the greater Houston area, including Montgomery County.
• It is anticipated that the number of Rita evacuees seeking assistance in the Houston area will increase over the next few weeks, including both short and long term needs.
• Special needs shelters are up to the community and government. The Red Cross will support special needs shelters but will not open them.

Damage Assessment

• Red Cross reports that the damage assessment is not complete.
• Transportation of supplies to first responders is still being worked out.
• Nine counties have been declared disaster areas.

Disaster Recovery Center (DRC):

• The DRC will be open for evacuees to seek services by tomorrow. The DRC is NOT a shelter. (Location was given in yesterday’s update.)

FEMA Registration:

• Evacuees who have access to a computer should check to see if their FEMA applications have been processed, funds released, and checks issued.
• FEMA registration phone number: 1-800-621-3362.
• Recommendation: Evacuees affected by both Katrina and Rita should apply for FEMA numbers for both events and let FEMA sort out its policies later.

Supplies

• Currently, there have not been any requests for clothing for Rita evacuees.
• No warehousing has been established so donations can’t be accepted yet.

VOAD Web site

• There is a Web site lready up at http//:voadhouston.org
• Documents and information for the Texas Gulf Coast VOAD will be posted there
• Those wishing to post information should send it to the e-mail address at the bottom of the Web site’s homepage.

VOAD Member Reports

• There is a need to gather information regarding VOAD members’ Katrina and Rita recovery efforts into a report.
• The report should contain basic information, including the name of organization, mission, number served, areas served, amount of assistance given, and current issues.
• It is important that local efforts match well with the national system to maximize cooperation and benefits.

VOAD Meeting Next Week

• It was proposed that Greg Patin contact Jeff Stys to set the date, time and location of a VOAD meeting for early next week.
• By that time, there should be some organizational movement at the national level.

VOAD Conference Calls

• Conference calls for the Texas Gulf Coast VOAD are scheduled every day at noon until further notice.
• There may also be a daily state VOAD conference call. Further information on that will be reported tomorrow during the noon local conference call.