FEMA arrives empty-handed

Rebecca Neal The Daily Advertiser/ The Indianapolis Star

Lafayette's first FEMA office opened Friday, but the center had no money or vouchers to give to hundreds of Hurricane Katrina evacuees who came searching for help.

"We're not giving anything," manager Kenneth Swain told the crowd. "We don't have anything yet to give."

The Federal Emergency Management Association's Disaster Response Center is located at Restoration Life Church, 111 Liberty Ave., across from Randol's restaurant on Kaliste Saloom Road. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, indefinitely.

FEMA has been noticeably absent from Lafayette since the hurricane struck, and people descended on the church looking for answers.

Tonette Oatif, 29, of New Orleans East brought a $2,000 hotel bill. The American Red Cross told her that FEMA would pay for it. Broke and living in a Lafayette church shelter, she was angry to learn she might have to wait days or weeks to be reimbursed.

"They told me to wait a couple more days? I'm tired of waiting. We've waited about two weeks already just for FEMA to show up," she said.

Swain said the center had one line Friday for people to fill out paper applications. Without working computers, he said there was nothing he could do to check on the status of applications already filed. Those who have filed applications should visit the center in a few days to check.

More than 350 people had taken numbers to fill out an application at the center at 1 p.m. Friday.

While people were crowding the FEMA center, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, and Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter toured the Cajundome. Boustany said he was disappointed that FEMA was just now arriving.

"The communication lines are still not what we want," he said. "We're still not satisfied with the response."

Vitter said he and other Louisiana politicians were trying to bring more aid to the state. He said he met with Vice President Dick Cheney during his tour of Louisiana and told him help was urgently needed.

"We've waited too long without answers," he said.

The key now is working to hold agencies accountable for providing help, Boustany said.

"We think it's been heard and now we'll wait," he said.

However, that wasn't enough for many seeking help at the Cajundome, who crowded around Boustany and Vitter as they finished a news conference. Many shouted questions, while others demanded action.

Byron Gougisha, 51, asked them when he would receive federal aid. The Gretna resident is living in a motel, but is almost out of money.

"Where's everyone supposed to live?" he asked. "I'm very, very destitute at this time."

Many of the evacuees were angry that they couldn't get through when they called FEMA's toll-free number. Cynthia Amie, 41, of St. Bernard Parish, said she doesn't understand why states such as Texas and Alabama have received so much aid while Louisiana has gone without.

"We're being ignored," she said. "We're like the forgotten ones."

The Red Cross was also anxious for FEMA to arrive. Spokesman Bruce Bouldin said communication between federal agencies and volunteer groups has been extremely poor.

"We're frustrated because we don't have any answers to give people," he said.

He said the Cajundome housed about 1,400 people Thursday night, but he expected the number to decrease dramatically when FEMA begins distributing checks.

In the meantime, many searching for assistance at the Cajundome and the new FEMA office are left waiting for paperwork to be processed. Tami Barclay, 43, of Chalmette is staying with her husband's parents and about 18 other evacuees in a house in Ville Platte.

She said she can't wait for FEMA aid and insurance money, and wished the people in charge could see her living conditions.

"I'm homeless and no one understands," she said.


Originally published September 10, 2005

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