The Disaster Accountability Project’s Hotline is receiving calls from Gustav/Ike survivors frustrated with the responses they are receiving from FEMA and the Department of Social Services.  Callers are citing long wait times for responses from FEMA after filing claims, inequalities and problems with Disaster Food Stamp Assistance, and a lack of information on resources available for those left homeless by the hurricanes.

More than a week after Ike, and three weeks after Gustav, Houma callers are  still reporting difficulty reaching FEMA by phone to make and follow up on claims. Other callers are experiencing similar problems in waiting for assessments,  or are unaware of alternative forms of aid when FEMA denies their claims. Because many of those in Houma have been affected by both Gustav and Ike, and are being instructed by FEMA to register twice (once for each storm), this lack of response is particularly frustrating.  According to one caller, who submitted a claim for damage by Gustav on 9/5 (and has since incurred even more damage as a result of Ike): “I’ve called FEMA over and over and over… nobody’s contacted me, nobody’s trying to get in contact with me.  I keep calling, they keep hanging up, they keep hanging up.” As of 9/22, she had yet to receive a response.  A number of callers report waiting for a response in what would be considered unlivable conditions: homes with gaping holes in the roofs and rooms covered in mold and mildew.

Then, there are those who have been left homeless, often by Ike, often when they were just cleaning up after Gustav.  One caller reports sleeping in her car and staying with family members after being turned away at a shelter and calling 72 hotels on FEMA’s hotel list, only to be told that every single one was full. Other callers are contacting the Disaster Accountability Hotline with pleading messages such as:  “I can’t get through [to FEMA], I can’t get any information, we have no place to live,” and “Please call us back, we need you,” despite reminders on the Hotline itself that DAP is not a relief organization.

A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened in Houma on 9/7 at the Terrebonne Civic Center (and is open daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. until further notice) and another has been listed at Town Hall on Barrow Street (also open from 9-6) by the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government.  For those without adequate telecommunication links, these centers are an invaluable resource and need to be made public again in Ike’s wake.

The Disaster Accountability Hotline has also been contacted by a number of callers regarding the Department of Social Services’ Disaster Food Stamp Program.  Long power outages have resulted in widespread food loss, and many are finding it fiscally difficult to replace the contents of refrigerators and freezers.  Callers are frustrated by the monthly income limits that determine eligibility, which are currently, for example, a maximum of $2707 for a two-person household and $3663 for a household of four.  One caller said, “it seems to me it should be across the board, if you lost your food, you lost your food,” while another, ineligible for the program,  mentioned: “I have to wait until my husband to gets a pay check in order to buy meat for our house.  And we lost everything in our refrigerator.”

As POD locations have closed and fewer distribution sites are providing food  (the TPCG website only lists distribution sites providing “water, ice, tarps and cleanup kits” as of 9/23), Houma residents, especially those struggling but ineligible for the Disaster Food Stamp Program, need to be made aware of alternative means of food aid, such as local Red Cross and Salvation Army feeding programs, or any soup kitchens or food pantries open to disaster survivors.

If this information is difficult for someone with internet access (and a bit of free time) to obtain, it would probably be safe to assume that those who actually need the information are also having difficulty finding it. For example, as of 2pm on 9/23, the Red Cross’ Southeast Louisiana chapter’s website had not been updated with feeding or supply information since 9/21 (it has since been updated), and the Salvation Army’s website doesn’t appear to list locations of services at all. Individuals on the ground report being unaware of locations and existence of feeding stations until as little as half-an-hour before the sites are meant to open. (if they are aware at all)

For those who meet the requirements for Disaster Food Stamp assistance, the Department of Social Services’ program, which began on 8/30 and has already distributed $152.9 million in aid, is still extending benefits to those affected by Gustav until September 28th.  However, there is no word on a similar program for those who are critically in need of food aid following Ike.

Given reported problems in Louisiana’s Department of Social Services, DAP suggests the State consider extending Hurricane Gustav assistance, or  introducing assistance for those also affected by Ike, as it is clear the needs of  some individuals are still not being met.

Recommendations for FEMA and the Louisiana DSS:

  • Increase the number of FEMA phone lines and ensure a timely response to claims.  Better publicize the locations and hours of Disaster Recovery Centers for those unable to reach FEMA by phone or internet.
  • Implement a system that guides Gustav/Ike survivors to AVAILABLE alternative housing.
  • Increase the period of benefit for the disaster food stamp program.  Implement a program for those affected by Ike.  Guide ineligible high-need applicants to alternative means of food aid, such as local feeding stations or food pantries.