FEMA

I DONT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW THESE DISPLACED PEOPLE OUT AFTER 18 MONTHS BECAUSE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS DISPLACED DONT HAVE INSURANCE TO REBUILD THERE HOMES FOR THE WHO DIDNT HAVE INSURANCE SHOULD RESIDE IN THE MOBILE HOMES FOR AS LONG AS THEY LIVE I MEAN OUR TAXED DOLLARS PAYED FOR THE FUNDS FOR THINGS SUCH AS THIS SO I DONT THINK THE OTHER AMERICANS WHO TAXDOLLARS PAYED FOR THE TRAILERS WILL AGREE WHEN I SAY THEY SHOULD LIVE THERE PERMANTLY. HOW CAN YOU BUT A LIMIT ON TIME A PERSON STAY IN TRAILER THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR SHELTER? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WAS IN THIS POSTION FEMA, PRESIDENT BUSH, REPUBLICANS?

PUHLEASE!!!!!!!!! 3 or 4 HOURS to move and connect an RV trailer!! We have 35 ft 5th wheel RV with rooms that slide out. Once we get it to where we want it to be, it takes about 15-30 MINUTES to (1)level it; (2) pull out the electric cord and plug it in, (3) pull out the water hose, screw it on to the connection on the trailer and hook the other end to a water faucet, and (4) pullout the sewer pipe hose, attach it to the RV on one end and attach the other end to the sewer connection (and sometimes we get fancy and screw together PVC pipe or a more stable sewer line that drains better instead of just using the flexible hose.) Oh yeah - and add 5 minutes to unroll the awning. The crew who work at the RV campground where we store and primarily use our RV would fall down laughing at the idea of taking 3-4 hours to move and set up one RV. They bring the RV's out of storage, slap them in place and hook them up at the rate of 3 an HOUR!

Since FEMA won't bring the RV until the connections are in place on the site and useable, what in the world are they DOING that it takes 3-4 hours??

it's much better than a tent...looks nice ...but would not like to know a whole family has to live in one ...for very long

PUHLEASEEE!!!! keep in mind that the people involved are only doing their jobs and are even more worried about making a mistake than many of their clients. Most of them are hoping for a career that will be cut short or sidetreacked by an investigation into why they did or didn't do or not do something. Mr. Lamport actually made several potentually lifestyle changing statements depending on which congressional committee or Investgator General wants to look. There are numerable cases of government employees being lauded for a fine job responding to a situation one day and having a punitive letter placed in their file the next for the same action, because they didn't follow precedure.
As for the time spent setting up an RV trailler I can only point out that the number of man hours (people hours) to fetch the trailer, hook it up, do the paperwork, and manage the whole action through two or three levels, and inspect the work, could easily take 3 - 4 man hours. How many people actually work on that trailer of yours. Don't forget the park manager, the gate guard, etc. There are a lot of thing that get covered up by membership dues etc.
Last but not least. The job of FEMA is not to "make you whole again". FEMA is there to help you get by until other resources can kick in and this may take a while. In the case of the hurricane Isobel disaster in my area, there are many people just getting back into their homes after over two years. In some cases thje FEMA trailer was better than what they were flooded out of.

FEMA and their trailers are absolutely asinine. They are calling people up and practically forcing trailers on them in New Orleans--we had a summer home in Waveland and we were supposed to get a trailer for that house, which was wiped out--but we certainly didn't need it as we are all high and dry at home! So FEMA calls up homeowners in the Gulf Coast and tells them to take a trailer when, if someone can answer their home phone, they are probably living at home and thus not in need of a trailer at all. But FEMA is persistent. Why? Probably because their subcontractors are making a killing off of each trailer they pass off and install.

But that isn't helping anyone, especially those who need the trailers most. CALL FEMA?! If your house is gone, how can you call FEMA?!

The idiocy abounds.

A. Carr, Michigan: Why do you care (or not care) so much about us? Are you up there getting your rocks off thinking about how miserable we are? Up to now, I was just reading all the hate email, but I noticed your name so many times I had to comment. Please feel free to enjoy my misery as well. Here's a few thoughts for you--I lost 40 years worth of memories, from my first trophy to my childrens first teeth to my wedding dress, and everything before and after and in between. I've now lost many friends, several family members, and all of my neighbors. I have to drive 30 minutes to buy baby formula for my 6 week old baby who has no bed because one won't fit in the fema beamer. My two oldest children sleep on the kitchen table and the living room sofa bed in the fema beamer because they are too big to fit in the 30 inch wide bunks. We get diarrhea if we drink the water or even brush our teeth with it. And if you can imagine anything worse, I'm sure it is true for some unfortunate people who are worse off than I.

Actually Highland Dragon from Yorktown Virgina, the times I quoted of 20-30 miutes to set it up and hook it up are when 2 of us move it and park it - my husband and myself using our own pickup. We often take it on trips and then return it to its home campground. The campground staff is even faster.

These are brand new trailers straight from the dealers who did the delivery prep and checks to make sure everything worked before the trailers left their lots. The campground where we keep our RV trailer also has an RV dealership where FEMA bought 20 trailers in September. Not only did the staff tell me that had to prep and check the trailers, I saw them doing it.

3-4 hours less 25 minutes leaves 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. That is enough time to haul one from over 150 miles away.

Claiming it takes 3-4 hours to set one up and check it out will make any fulltime RVer (the ones who travel year round in their RVs) fall down laughing.

LOST TWO HOMES: What hate mail? The fact that I disapprove of people not getting flood insurance even when living on a penninsula surrounded by water? The fact that money is being handed out left and right as grants rather than loans with the repayments calculated in a ratio to income? The fact that FEMA is wasting money by its inefficencies? Why do I care BECAUSE THE REST OF US ARE STUCK PAYING THE BILL!!

Help is fine. Wasting money, wasting time and making everyone else pay for the irresponsility of not having insurance is not - that should be a loan, not a grant. The people I know in the Biloxi-Gulfport area don't understand why so mnay of you didn't have flood insurance - they did and were not considered to be in a "flood zone."

If someone loses their home due a fire, and couldn't afford insurance since they were disabled, they don't get grants from the government (the rest of us) to rebuild the house. That happened in my village and a year later we are still raising a little money here, a little there to try to help the man whose home burned. He is no less deserving of help - in fact probably deserves it more since getting by on SSI of $565 a month is tough and only had a home because he had inherited down through the family.

The sense of entitlement because a hurricane hit in an area that has hurricanes is bit hard to swallow. In fact, why don't all of you in Mississippi and Losuisana send back the money I donated in September?

You should see the HATE email I have gotten for saying that flood insurance only makes sense when surrounded by water. It seems the only people who think not having it was jsutified were those who got flooded and didn't have it.

I lost everything I had in Hurricane Katrina and I sit here and read all the stories that keep coming up. The FEMA help is not at all the way it should be, why not just gave a lump sum to the people that FEMA has gave the ok to get housing asst. and let it be. If they are having so many problems and have so much cash in hand that they are getting yelled at about. Just take the money and let the people buy a house instead of have them keep calling FEMA every two months to get more housing funds taking up the time. And the worst of all paying $140,000.00 each for a small trailer and setup when the money can go to a new house to live in an own. Does this make any sense what so ever?

CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND TELL THEM!!! IT WORKS. KEEP POSTING!!! CALL YOUR LOCAL NEWS TEAM!!!

My heart and prayers continue to go out to those on the Miss. Gulf Coast. I spent some time in Biloxi in the summers of 2004 and 2005 and despite the heat, found it a very friendly place. I live in Pennsylvania and have seen and continue to see first-hand how good people can be at reaching out to those so far away. The local newspaper in Doylestown, PA has adopted Waveland and Bay St. Louis, delivered truckloads of Christmas presents and is continuing to raise money (heading towards a million dollars at present), and invest in the rebuilding of these towns. My Air Force reserve unit adopted a unit at Keesler AFB and through fundraisers and donations from the local community, we sent over $8000 to them in gift cards for Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowes plus some sheets that were desperately needed. The Red Cross and Salvation Army continue to take donations and apply them directly to ongoing relief efforts. My suggestion to ANYONE who was not immediately affected by Katrina is to get up off your duff and do something good from someone else! Sharing God's love and His abundance is what it's all about!

The FEMA trailers don't have sceptic systems and must be plumbed into the sewer mains. They also have to have be hard-wired into direct electric power such as a utility pole and they have to be plumbed into the water supply. Also, they are set up on cinder blocks and leveled. I think other regulations require a solid (wooden or concrete) set of steps that meet some other gov't requirement and they have to have certain accessibility features. It's a little more complicated than a normal 5th wheel.

My husband and I lived in our 25 foot travel trailer, (10 feet shorter that Katrina victims are being provided) for months while our house was being built in upstate NY. The only reason we had to move out of it was because it was mid November and the fear that the water lines would freeze forced us to move in with friends and shut the camper down for the winter. Oh, did I mention that I have a 6 1/2 year old and my youngest was born in May of this year. We all fit, tightly, but we all fit. It was a roof over our head, a quick, but hot shower, a flush toilet, a microwave to heat water for bottles, a cook stove with oven to cook, a double kitchen sink, an air conditioner and a heater. We dealt, frustrated at times, but we dealt. So, for those who have been fortunate enough to have a FEMA trailer, BE THANKFUL. I realize we made the choice to live in our camper and you did not make that choice. However, when you really think about it, you do have many of the amenities of a real home, just a very small home.

I just returned from the Waveland area. If FEMA has taken care of everyone who needs trailers then why are people still having to live in tents?!?!

Lost TWO Homes, nothing in the world right now is more on a lot of peoples minds than you and people in your situation. A.Carr is stating the obvious truth about people, like the people setting up the trailers in the first place, milking the government and us for setting up the trailers. No one should begrudge you or any one the trailers and should in fact pity the people stuck in them for any lenth of time. If I could lend you my house to stay in I would do it in a second. I'm sorry. I don't know how it's like in those trailers, but i've seen the area. Looks just like the tsunami hit areas of Indonesia. That bad.

FEMA's contractors DO NOT set up the trailers on blocks - they had my sister's on the scissors-legs all the way up - and if you sneezed in it the whole trailer rocked...that is not where the time is being spent - trust me!

A. Carr: you seem to be so versed in the woes of this area. However, let me enlighten you. Many people in this are did not have flood insurance simply because they were told they were not in a flood zone. That being said they did not qualify to purchase flood insurance from the government flood program (the only place it can be purchased from).

Fema trailers: The majority of us down here don't want a handout. Yes, my apartment made it thru fine. However, many people I work with are in FEMA trailers. They are the lucky ones. There are still many, many people down here living in hunting tents. It's not summer and 90 degrees anymore. The temp at night has been around 30. Some of those in tents have small children. There is no shelter, no hotels, nothing. What more would you suggest to these people? The trailers are wonderful and welcomed. Yes, many of them have problems: non-working heaters, small water tanks, loose windows, leaking windows. That just goes to show you how grateful people are.

My only question/concern is this: Why are so many people coming down so hard on us. It's really the government inefficiency that has most people upset.

As far as us living in a 'hurricane zone'. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country. Where would you have everyone move? California (earthquakes), Florida (hurricanes), New York or other parts north (flooding, blizzards, tornados), or the midwest (again that pesky tornado). You then have the threat of terrorism. I just want to say I'm very happy you feel as though our disaster here is so low on the totem of diserving disasters. As far as the gentleman in your village: you did what a COMMUNITY does. You are pulling together to help one another. I thank God everyday that is what the community known as OUR COUNTRY (mostly private citizens) did for all of us. God bless all those that have been kind enough to be patient, charitable of time and money, and tolerant with us on the Coast. To the rest of you, God help you if you ever experience an event even a quarter as traumatic as this.

Nobody owes anybody a thing--not a trailer or an apartment or anything else. Get a life, people!

These trailers are another colossal waste of effort and (our tax) money. If they are treated like the trailers from other hurricanes, there won't be anything left worth "buying" after 18 months anyway, they'll just be turned into Coke cans.

Get the government OUT of the disaster recovery effort and people will recover much faster--my relatives included! They are so tired of the government telling them what they HAVE to do to restart their own lives.

Oh, and Merry Christmas.

For years we lived in Chalmette, LA and had flood insurance. When my Mom moved to Diamondhead,MS she was told she could not get flood insurance. We argued with the mortgage company and National Flood Insurance people because we wanted to be safe than sorry. Well now that she has lost everything in her home and State Farm will not pay because of flood/surge damage what is she to do? Should she turn down the FEMA trailer and aid that she has been offered? She isn't looking for handouts, just what she needs to survive. She refuses what she doesn't need and is truly grateful what what she receives. She's 70 years old, worked all her life for this home and still has mortgage to pay on it. We've done what we can to help including buying her a vehicle and putting ourselves into debt. There may be people who are taking advantage of the system but, for the most part, people are still struggling to survive and doing the best they can to help themselves and their neighbors. The ironic part of this is my Mom is now again demanding flood insurance and she is told that until the new flood maps come out she can't get it.

If the government gives trialers they get complained about. If the government doesn't give trailers they get complained about.

Make up your mind guys, at leats they are putting a roof over the heads of the needy.

Well I feel so bad for all who have suffered through these hurricanes and for all of the pure torture they have been through and are still enduring. My heart goes out to each and every one of them. I just wish there was a way I could help just one family but I have done all I can do. I have given cash, given 10 trash bags full of clothes. People need to understand that yes our tax dollars are helping to pay for this but at least we have that option. As for the people who didn't have insurance, I can't even afford insurance on my mobile home and God forbid a fire or a high wind I would lose everything. For the lower and low middle class families a disaster is much more devistating than the upper class people. Our society seems to not to recongnize the lower class people. It's like we are just stepping stones and are a major pain in situations like this. Those of you that have the luxury of having a roof over your head in one tin cans well it is better than nothing. I have to look at that when I go home each night. Things will get better but it will take time, patience and lots of work. May God bless each and every one of you!!! And all of you hatefull people out there, put yourself in their shoes. Open up your heart, listen to their complaints I'm sure they are real. And remember these are depressed people with real problems. These are people who live in this country and have the same rights as you and I do. And I am sure they have paid their taxes and will continue to do so just like you and I. This was not their fault, it was a disaster. We need to take care of them. They are our brother and sisters!!!!

what i would like to know is when they auction off the trailer is the public informed? i would love to be able to purchase one so i could quit paying rent. due to an accident involving one of my children i had to file a bankrupcy on medical(over150 thousand) and as a single mom i can not get a loan. but i am in the petal area who is in the disaster area and still have a child at home and while these are small if it was mine it would be better than continuing to pay someone elses house payment. and if something happened to me at least my daughter would have a roof over her head. so if anyone could give me this information i would appreciate it. my prayers are with you all, while i did not lose everything i still am having trouble recovering personal loses like grocerys and i live in a town that our mayor said we did not need the help so it has not been adopted. but enough of the pity party, i just keep working and with Gods help maybe in time i will get back on my feet. but i do know how you feel as i lost everything in a house fire in 1993 and it is the personal memories that are the hardest. like pictures of your children as babies . SO MAY YOU ALL MAKE IT THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS HOILDAY AND MAY NEXT YEAR BE BRIGHTER.

The problem isn't which disaster is the worst, it is that this is a DISASTER. Not just the actual weather but the response from FEMA too. I beleive that the government has enough resources and money to BUY a new house for everyone who lost their home. It may not be in the same state that they were living but when in need...... I know that there are enough houses country wide to buy every family that was affected in these hurricanes, a new home. They may be moved away from the state that they grew up in but what would be better, living in a little tin can (which is what those trailers really are) or living in a nice comfortable home. Think about it, how much money is the government spending on those tin cans and how much does a new house cost???? I am not talking building new houses, that would take too long, I am talking about the government buying that cute house that is for sale just down the road, or that other house for sale on the other side of town. What can everyone be thinking??? When something this big and horrible happens it will take YEARS to fix. No one is going to be able to rebuild your house on your lot until all the utilities, ect... can be replaced. I know people will say that they would never move away but you waite and see what next year brings or the year after. I would rather have a nice new home where my family can be warm and comfortable and maybe even make new friends in a new community. I am very sorry that the government can't take the time to think clearly. (Or is it because they are too busy not thinking at all?) I wish everyone who was affected by this tragity a hopeful and happy new year. Peace.

I feel bad for all of the folks in N.O. The gov't and these insurance companies always try to get out of helping those that need it the most. Insurance companies are frauds...My brother lives in Miami and is still waiting to get some help for the roof of his house after a hurricane went through Florida.

He has begun to rebuild w/help from his neighbors. They are all helping each other. We are all human beings and Americans. We can not judge until we've lived in another's shoes.

BTW: I read in another article that FEMA is putting up folks on 3-4 cruise ships at $250 a person, per night until March. FEMA should either give people $140K to purchase a house or apt. instead of wasting it on keeping people on a cruise ship. Some of these trailers are sitting empty and not being used!

We need to get FEMA to answer for this!

A. Carr, if you really had your facts straight, then you would know that not everyone was able to purchase flood insurance because it was not offered to them in their areas. Generally, if an area is not considered to be in a flood zone, then flood insurance is not offered.

The thing that bothers me most about the cruel remarks made by so many people about the hurricane victims is that they are made in complete total ignorance. My advice is that if you don't know the true facts in a situation, then keep your remarks to yourself.

I read these messages with sadness, disgust and yet hope. I spent three weeks in New Orleans helping with the Disaster relief effort and travelled to all areas of New Orleans and had a chance to work with the locals. I know first hand the vast magority of the folks I met just want to get on with their lives and rebuild, they just want a chance to fix the damage, they dont want handouts. Dont let the few who demand help but wont help themselves color your judgement of the wonderful folks that have gone through this disaster with their pride, persaverance and love of community intact who only want to make their communities better then before. There is enough blame to go around for decades to come from the local, state and federal levels. Having seen the distruction first hand it was simply overwhelming for any agency (no matter how much they boast they can handle everything) to cope with. There is no way planning for a disaster of this magnitude could have been done, it was just too big. I just hope that we can put the negativity aside and work with all our combined effort to get the Gulf back on it's feet and give those wonderful folks a second chance, those that camplain will never be satisfied. Lets put the name calling and finger pointing aside, we can do that later after the problems are fixed. I wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and may the New Year bring much more progress.
I cannot wait to get back to New Orleans when is is back on it's feet.

I am from The Mississippi Gulf Coast Area.It took about 5 days or so to receive word that my father and brother were still alive. They live in Bay St. Louis, MS and stayed during the storm. The one street that my father lives on got minimal damage. My Grandparents lived on the point in Biloxi and lost everything. They had flood insurance and luckily didn't have any problems with their insurance company. My best friend who lives in Bay St. Louis didn't have flood insurance because she wasn't in a flood zone and wasn't allowed to purchase it. Well her home went under 8 feet of water. They have a FEMA trailer and are very greatful, but the insurance company has been giving them the run around. She also lost her father as a result of the storm. He was hospitalized at Keesler AFB before the storm and transported because the hospital was flooding. A lot of people in these areas understand what a hurricane can do. The people who didn't leave couldn't afford to or didn't realize it was going to be this bad.It still doesn't matter,this is our home and these are people who need us.We are all really blessed with the way people have been helping and trust me when you go there it's a very humbling experience to see this face to face. Some people have even turned to laughter to help this situation. I have some pictures of some homes in Biloxi that have FOR SALE...CHEAP spray painted on them. This goes to show the true spirit of the coast. I have seen people living in tents on their property..it's heartbreaking, but their spirit brings hope.
To all those who've helped in prayer or in giving ,etc..I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To all those with harsh words...keep them tender, you may have to eat them one day.

A.Carr: Speaking as someone who lived and worked and PAID TAXES in Waveland, MS, I take offense at the cavalier attitude of those who have not walked in our shoes. Until you have stood in the livingroom of your apartment in water up to your neck, watching your life float around you please don't presume to judge anyone. I along with my husband, who had just had triple by-pass surgery, and my daughter were lucky to make it out before the water went over the ceiling. A lot of people didn't. Just remember one thing, Mother Nature is not choosy. She can wreak havoc on anyone regardless of where they live.

I live in Pascagoula, MS. We were hit hard by Katrina although according to the news it was only New Orleans and Hancock and Harrison County MS. The difference in Jackson County(Pascagoula) and the afore mentioned places is that our coastline was not littered with Casinos and retail space but with graced with beautiful and historic homes. One of which belongs to the Honarable Trent Lott. I along with my husband and three children 10,11, &14 are fortunate to have a Fema trailer to call home while we rebuild our home. I am proud to live in a country where they provide this to citizens in need. However, I would like to say that ordinary or shall I say extrodinary people and the religious organizations have in my opinion save Uncle Sams ..... The blessings we have recieved have been so abundant that it was almost worth losing all our worldly posessions to see that in our country there are so many generous loving & good people still in the world. Thank you to all of you that have come to our aid. May God bless you as you have blessed us

Hello,

My parernts lost their home in Waveland, Mississippi as so many others have. The story stated that the people are not getting the trailers due to lack of communication. Fema has the communication problem. Many people here applied and are still waiting for trailers. Many are living in tents four months later. I find it hard to think they put out 150 trailers a day or even 50 a day now because almost everyone has them. My parents applied with Fema in September for a trailer and it is now the end of December and still they are not in one. Fema needs to speed up the process you have to go through to get one. It takes forever to get one when you do apply. If you call Fema to ask about your status you always get a different person on the phone and answer to your question where is my trailer?! One last comment to the Dee Cliff person who said no one deserves help or a trailer from the goverment. That is what Fema was created for to help after an event like this. They are supposed to help get people back on their feet. Who else do you think is going to do it? The point of the fema trailers are to give people a place to live while they rebuild. My parents did have flood insurance and have had it for the last 40 years.

JP

To the brave souls saving their communities by staying in them in the midst of the impossible: Please don't let those outside the area convince you that taking taxpayer's money during this time is a burden. As a lifelong republican and staunch conservative, this is one situation during which I believe my taxes are justified. No one can imagine what you're living in - pictures, words and sound bites can't do it. Unless you get the 360, sour wind in your face, unnatural silence, jaw dropping experience of standing among an area of ruin larger than some countries, your opinion is not based in fact. There is no pulling yourself up by your bootstraps because your boots are gone. And so are your neighbors' and their neighbors' and in many cases those of your entire extended family. It's unprecendented - therefore opinions based on history or smaller scale occurences simply are not relevant. I applaud the bravery and courage of those who are living among the ruins because without them these special areas would not survive the way we knew them. And, if you knew them, you know exactly what I mean.

And, about the 3 hour hook-up time on the trailers....another instance of someone not grasping the vastness of the destruction. Where would they put the holding yard for 15,000 trailers anywhere near the coast when the coast is one big pile of debris? The trailers ARE kept 100-150 miles away because that's as close as they can get them in such large quantities. You can't frame this as a house fire or even a city burning down. Virtually the entire coast area is destroyed - a completely different set of challenges than one guy tragically losing his home or a vacationing couple taking advantage of an existing campground.

I took my wife to the MS. coast this week (she grew up in Pass Christian) and she cried for a full 30 minutes as we drove down Hwy. 90 W. from Gulfport. The only way we knew we had reached Pass Christian after turning north off of 90 was the water tower had the name Pass Christian painted on it. We never found the street where she grew up much less where the house used to be.

For anybody putting these poor people down for receiving assistance think about this when you go to bed tonight. What would you do if tomorrow morning you woke up and had lost everything... your house, car, job, stores, schools and everbody within 100 miles lost the same. Where would you go... what would you do? Stay with relatives or friends... oh wait they lost everything too.

It will take years just to clean up the mess not to mention how long it will take to rebuild. My guess is decades.

I would love to take those making complaints about people on the coast getting help down there and let them live for 4 months. I'll bet most couldn't handle it for 4 days.

My husband and I are Red Cross National Disaster Volunteers. We spent almost a month in Pascagoula, MS. We served about 8,000 meals a day out of our kitchen, delivering them throughout Jackson County in our ERVs. But this is not about us, its about the brave, wonderful people we met in Pascagoula. We met hundreds of people that were thanking God they were still alive. Who were hopeful that their lives would at some point stabilize. These stoic Americans refused to take more than what they actually needed and deferred to their neighbors if they thought they were more needy. We met people that before Katrina were very poor and others that were very rich, and everything in between. But the tragedy washed away the class system and everyone had the same needs...a roof over their heads, food, water, and someone who cared about their tomorrows. Yes, I could tell you come negatives, but why bother? Will it encourage those who are shivering in their tents? Will it change the tragedy that befell so many innocent people? These are people just like you and me...come on people lets offer encouragement and not point fingers of blame. We would like to go back to the area and visit the wonderful people who became "family" to us while we were there. I know someday we will. God bless you our friends in Pascagoula...we have not forgotten you, or ever will forget you. You are constantly in our prayers.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

The people who are upset are the ones who had insurance and if you are not in a flood zone you cannot purchase flood insurance. These people all live in a coastal area you would think the entire coastal area would be able to purchase flood insurance , but unfortunately this isn't the case. The flood zones are the areas that flooded during Hurricane Camille. This storm flooded areas that didn't flood in Camille. As far as sitting on their butts....these people are still working. There are several people who have been to work as soon as their workplace opened even after losing everything and staying in tents. I'm sure unfortunately there are very few people taking this situation for granted, but for the most part this is not the case. Most of the people who had insurance...due to the catastrophe and the amount of loss, the insurance companies are still giving a lot of people the run around. You would think the insurance companies would have been prepared, looking at the past history for Camille.(They are insuring coastal areas.) There is a lot of frustration, and believe me (I've been down there quite a bit since the storm) the people who have received some help are greatful. Please don't generalize this situation and make these people look like jerks. You may even only be describing the few who are taking this situation for granted. Now for those less fortunate who didn't have flood insurance...not because they couldn't afford it, or too stupid to buy it....because the insurance company WILL NOT LET YOU BUY FLOOD INSURANCE IF YOU ARE NOT IN A FLOOD ZONE!!! Complain about the insurance companies who force these people to use government assistance. These people do not enjoy relying on the government. How humiliating. These people are catching rides to and from work...yes they are working. These are some very humbled people and some of them even lost parents, children, etc. I had to go to my best friend's father's funeral and there were still boats in the cemetary that had washed up there. Then one of her cousins went to another funeral for her friend who's parents drowned right in front of him. This situation is humbling enough for those that live in it.
These people have lost everything and when you've had any kind of loss in this storm you have the right to stand up for yourself when some people ASSUME what is really going on down there.
Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season, Everyone...even the Scrooges. :)

PLLeeassee that is the biggest bunch of crap I have ever heard 3 to 4 hours to get a trailer we wish. We were on fema's "list" and I use the term loosely for almost 90 days after Katrina. The guys took literally all day to set up the trailer. Why? I don't know. When they did finish our heater didn't work correctly. By the Way we are still waiting on that lovely repair. I am not trying to complain LOL I just wish the government would give a bit more accurate rep. of what they are really doing. Instead of telling lies when contacted by the media.

I agree with the overall opinion that contractors are bending over FEMA on the hours being charged out on each trailer for set up. Lets all admit though the whole country has become so money oriented that the first thing out of most peoples mouth is whats in it for me instead of tell me how I can help or I'm here call me if you want my help and don't worry about it it will come back around when I need help .This is a sad fact about america I'm getting bothered about more everyday. Example there is a local manufacturer that was building a cheap line of mobile homes for the estimated amount of 9 to 10 grand out the door to the dealers until their goodwill and willing to help people in need landed them a FEMA contract. Now amazingly they can build this trailer for 15,000.It is not a secret this is happening on most of products and services invloved in FEMA's relief Effort or shall we call it rip them for all we can cause its the government they have plenty! I personally beleive our government should spend some of the Fema allowance on investagation of fraud towards people who are truly in need. Just imagine what could be done with amount of money that was given to FEMA if people and companies remained honest during this transaction of rebuilding a city and so many peoples lives!!! I'm a beleiver it will come back around.

Please. Set up a trailer in 3-4 hours? Sounds like typical government BS to me. How many coffee breaks are involved in this task?

I say I escaped the Gulf Coast area in early October 2005 almost completely because of Hurricane IVAN. Katerina was not my last straw-Ivan was. It just took me over a year to be able to leave, so I was still just north of Panama City for Katrina. We knew it was going to be bad, and did not wish it on anyone. I can't comprehend the Katrina survivors having to live in tents-where is the media??? Why haven't pictures of what must be horrible living conditions been a daily feature on the news???

Y'all really don't understand what it takes to set up one of these FEMA trailers. Let me explain. When you have a travel trailer you pull into a RV park and hook up within a few minutes. Everything is right there, easy to hook up - water, sewer, electricity, etc. Now consider what it takes to hook up a FEMA trailer in a person's back or side yard. They have to run a wire from the eletric pole to the trailer - hardwire it. Many people have had ruined homes or slabs so there isn't a plug handy. Septic - again they have to run a sewer pipe into the home's existing sewer system or septic system. Or would you prefer FEMA spend thousands of dollars driving around pumping the sewage tanks of the trailers every few days. Water is the same way - hook it into the water system or, if you're lucky there's an outside faucet you can use with a hose connected to the trailer. There they have to block the trailer so it doesn't move and also use tiedowns so that it won't tip over in a storm. Of course with the elderly or handicapped then they have to build a wheelchair ramp for access. Now if any of you can do all this in 30 minutes then more power to you. You fail to understand that these people aren't pulling into a RV park on vacation with all the amenities or having a slumber party in their backyards with the trailer hooked up to the house. They will have to live in these trailers - their homes - for months to come. As to people who are dumb because they live on the coast...well the same could be said for people who live thorughout the country where earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, etc occur. Perhaps we should not let any of these people have insurance. After all you know you live in those areas so take your chances. Let's see, every coastal state would not have flood insurance, California no fire or earthquake insurance, the midewest states no tornado insurance...hmmm...on and on. The point here is that if you have a choice to have insurance and you take it then you can blame people. But if you're told you can't have a certain type of insurance for an event and it happens then what - who is to blame then?

To all who thinks 3-4 hours to set up a trailer is BS. Have you ever set up one? (besides an RV). I had a FEMA trailer after Isabel on the coast of Virginia. The workers were from good ol Louisiana. They had to dig a 75 foot trench for the electrical conduit and water line, a 50 foot trench for the sewer to the septic tank, jack up the trailer and install cinder blocks to stabilize it, install tie-downs to prevent it blowing over and check out the operation of the heat, water heater, stove etc. I guess most people used to sitting at a computer keyboard don't appreciate how much manual labor is involved.

To those whining about Flood Insurance not being available blame your local officials. It is their responsibility to define the flood areas. My county did years ago even though the last flooding from a hurricane was in 1933. Seventy years prior to Isabel on 9/18/03. Except for the FEMA trailer I never expected nor asked others to pay any of my loss. I had insurance for that. Living on the water I fully expect the possibility of the loss of our home so we are prepared for it. We lost our home but it was far from a disaster.
Others should take note. It is not the responsibility of society (taxpayers) to bear any financial burden except for temporary shelter and food. If those who don't like the trailers expecting the government to build them houses then they better face reality.

Why are so many people focusing on the little things like how long it takes to hook-up a trailer. Your getting the brief overview from the Media and running with that grenade. Before you begin ranting about Government conspiracy, get the facts. Small hint...don't put blind faith in one media source as being all informative. They are slanted toward their own beliefs just like you.

My thoughts on these travel trailers. If it's taking four hours, it's taking four hours. I can hook-up a trailer in less time if I'm parking it at a camp site with hook-ups, BUT when these trailers are being hooked up at house sites with no pre-existing utilities, it might take a little time. Was there any mention of where the "Egg sites" were at? NO. Logistically, it's probably not next to the house that needed the trailer. The people who are delivering and installing these trailers aren't locals, maps will get them in the general area, but street signs and geographic landmarks have dissappeared.

Once we pay our taxes the money is no longer ours it is now the governments! If you don't like how it is spent call your representative or become the individual who is in charge of it and decides how it is spent. We can gripe and complain all we want but it still won't change the fact that people are still living in these trailers or tents with little-nothing left of their homes. What are they supposed to do now? WE ( the people of the North) Are sometimes to quick to judge. Who are we to judge when we have a house, food, bed, heat. I was in the military and did field training excersises in the middle of winter in 0 degree winter or colder at night with no field coat just my bdu top and bottoms. Was it my choice no My company commanders did we have heaters yes but only when there was fuel. Was there NO we stuck it out. Anyway... These people don't have a choice and shame on us for being quick to judge. Is there people abusing the system. There alawys is but what about the people that don't want the hand out that WORKED all there life to have it all ruined in a matter of days. What if next year there was a tremedous amount of tornadoes and flodding here in the north? What if that shoe was on the other foot? What if roles where switched? I would like to say that the south would help in which most probably would. I'm sure though that maybe some would say "oh thats your fault because you lived in a tornado area and it's your fault the dam to the reservoir broke and flooded your house that wasn't zoned for a flood. Yes the govenment has problems, How can they resolve them all in one presidency or two? I believe that America will be her own undoing because of our selfishness and pride! When someone offers to help take it. When the load is to much ask for help. But don't judge others when your high and dry while others did not choose their fate let alone the card they where delt! Shame on us ( the north ) for once again kicking someone while they where down. Congatulations though to those of you who can pull into a "fully catered" rv area and plug in; I have more respect for the ones that break there backs TO HARD WIRE IT IN AND DIG THIER OWN SEWER PIPE!!!!! ALONG WITH THIER OWN WATER THEY HAVE TO PLUMB IN that mast can't even drink due to the fact that it is not yet "clean" enough. But you "the north" just think about that the next time you go to your kitchen and get a glass of water or brush your teeth or even cook dinner with it!

Obviously I'm not condemning the whole north just the north that is fat and lazy enough to gripe and complain and "man" enough to kick someone while their down. You know who you are

Those with trailers should count their blessing. What do earthquake survivors in Pakistan have? What do tsunami survivors have in Sri Lanka? They certainly have no insurance, no FEMA, and no web site to complain to.

Placing a FEMA trailer at a residential site in New Orleans is far different than just parking one at a camp site. When my trailer was placed at my home,more than 20 feet of 4" PVC drainage pipe had to be installed to my sewer line. Regulations also requires that each of the trailer corner be anchored to a 4' auger stake which is not so easy to complete. I watch the men take almost 30 minutes just to placed one stake to the required depth. The temporary utility pole,required to be 4' below the surface, also proved to be quite a challenge when the crew kept hitting underground tree roots that were not obvious. Three to four hour to completed installation is a definite reality. By the way,the crew mentioned that my 3hour 30 minute installion was one of the easier jobs that they had all week.

JP Marion...i feel sorry for those people too...but they are not Americans...and certainly not Mississippians!!! lets take care of our own first then we can worry about the others

I was not on the gulf coast whe Katrina hit....I was in the house in Jackson MS preparing for a day of rain and wind...just like any other day when a strom is on the coast. I figured the least that would happen is that I would be withour power..that is what candles are for. I was not prepared for the Hurricane 2 hurricane that hit the capital city and I sure wasn't prepared for the tree that landed on my house and caved the living/dining area in...nor was I prepared for the 15 hours of rain that literlly flooded the INSIDE of my home...My heart goes out to all of the people that was in any way shape or form, affected by this disaster. And yes I had to relocate.

We continue to read the heart-breaking stories of the way people are living in the Katrina area's. THE richest country in the world, fighting a war on foreing soil -- costing 10's of BILLIONS of dollars and are own people continue to suffer. This is a perfect example of what happens when you elect Republicans. I abolutely believe that had Bill Clinton or any other caring Democrat had been President -- the response and subsequent actions would have been swift and certain. President Bush should spend Christmas with these people, in the trenches. And that still wouldn't help. Hang in there, the rest of the country is pulling for you. Wish I could help more.

The fema trailers are fill gap measures, not great but,but can anyone think of a faster solution? Lifes not perfect, but gov. can't totally make every thing roses from cradle to grave. I suppose maybe all these people could be housed in Barracks at closed Military bases.But then most would be unhappy about the location.
I know the life is hard, but no one can do every thing for someone else. Life in a travel trailer is just what you make of it.

We lost our stuff and home during hurricane. since we had family fema did nothing.. We worked for the last couple of months out of my truck until we were able to buy a used school bus off of I-10 between anahuac and winnie tx. we now took out all the seats and live in it working as we can odd jobs. Garage sales are nice to find furniture and odds and ends.. fema did nothing for us... be thankful...

I was wondering why the caring democrats in Congress just delayed much of the hurricane aid (included in deficit reduction bill) based on technicalities that will do nothing to "improve" the outcome of the bill except take additional, precious time for the money to get to the hurricane victims and the states that are supporting them. And, the caring democrats are threatening to delay again once the current loop through the process is complete. Just curious how that squares with compassion above politics - a needless delay to make a political stance while people are living in tents. By the way, the Republicans and the President are ready to send the money....

This is to A. Carr from Michigan.

You are describing installing an RV or travel trailer on a level spot or a concrete pad in a nice, clean RV park. On the Gulf, we are installing trailers on lots covered with as much as six feet of debris -- lumber, roofs, uprooted trees, smashed furniture. Just finding a few clear square feet in which to put the trailer is a challenge -- then there's the problem of hauling it in over twisted, tangled wreckage.

Of course, seeing as you are the expert, how about you come on down and show us ignoramusses how to set up a travel trailer in 30 seconds or less.

May God bless every man, woman and child affected by this disastor. I've lived thru hard times but I've always had a roof over my head and family to help. The stories I've read from this site are filled with courageous people and may God take extra special care of you this New Year.

My prayers go out to everyone who lost their homes,and loved ones in the storm.My only request is for our nation to pray for peace.
My aunt lost her home in NO and now lives in TX.She is so thankful for clothes or even a cookie sheet.

I have two houses in South Texas and had no problems getting Natioal flood insurance for years.
My agent stated that I did ot need flood insurance since I was not in a flood zone and tried to convince me again calling it a waste of money and to buy other insurance instead
. After I went over the past 100 years of Hurricanes and floods in our county the office workers and agent now have flood insurance .
The insurance companys make very little commison on the flood polices . They do not want to fool with it,I have heard this from more than one company
Gary Kriegel Bishop Texas

A Carr has yet to walk through Hancock County (Bay St Louis/Waveland) Every person who shows up to help goes through a 72 hour curve, the first day they are all full of ways that everything could have been done better, the second day after the realization of the size and scope of the destruction, and meeting the people who have lived the disaster, people who smile and comfort the rescuer telling them that it's going to be better. Views tend to change by the third day, at this point most people who really want to help will.
Some can't handle the environment and just go home. FEMA is doing what it can as fast as it can, but the best FEMA is doing is a bigger trailer. Many homes were lost; it is up to the volunteer groups, like the ones who raised money for the burned down house. Volunteer labor and materials are the core of the method to rebuilding houses and lives in the disaster area. Join a group from your area, come down and help rebuild a life.

Can't we all get along! God bless everyone. May the New Year be prosperous.

Hi, I just want to thank everybody for being honest with themselves and sharing with everyone their true feelings, thats what it is all about getting to the heart of the matter and the cause that counts. This is why I would like to share a little bit of what I have seen in New Orleans. It is much more than I can comprehend of such devastation or even talk about in such a short time. Our church in Manassas, Virginia had partnered with a church in Penn. and Conn. and also the founder of Christ in Action, Denny Nissley. We partnered together to help rebuild three houses, that were struck down by Katrina's overwhelming power. We together rebuilt 3 homes in 6 days. I thank God for the miracle that took place and the people that helped. The goal was reached and accomplished. We all need to reach out and help in anyway that we can, volunteering or chariable donations or through our prayers. We need to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Do unto others as we would want them to do to us. Let us not forget who said this, and "who is not without sin let him cast the first stone." All that I can say, help, help, help and prayers is needed greatly.

"YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR MY RELEIF AID?" I've worked all my life, AND paid taxes. Instead of looking at it that YOUR money is what aided us from AL to TX, I would rather think that the taxes I paid all my working life was like an insurance policy or savings account I paid into each week so that if I needed help in an emergency, it would be there. I think the taxes I paid for the last 32 years would cover the price of my fema trailer. I looked up the company and model on the internet for the travel trailer I have. Well the starting price for the basic package model,(which is what I have) is only $17,975.I do beleive between my self and my spouse, we have more than paid for the price of the mini home, and probably paid for many others. And remember, We are not buying it, we are borrowing it for up to 18 months! So please, enough of your selfish attitudes about taxes paying for us, and thank God Almighty that YOU just happened to not have anything tragic and unpreventable sneak up and bite you on the ass when you weren't looking!!! Now everyone have a great New Years, and hope 2006 is a little kinder to everyone touched by tragedy across our UNITED states.

To M. Davis -
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TO JP in NC...you're right, the victims of disasters in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and other countries have no FEMA or insurance. They have my tax dollars and yours, when our government sends millions/billions of dollars in aid & supplies to those countries. Instead of raving about tax-paying Americans receiving "assistance" from their own government, you should be more concerned about the monumental waste of taxpayer $$ created by inefficient operations, directed by unqualified "decision makers" (politicians). But, that's what happens when you have no-bid contracts and "the good old boy" system at work.

Having survived a direct hit by Hurricane Charley last year, personally, I felt FEMA did a superb job. We live in a small, rural community and although it took a couple of days for help to reach us, it came from everywhere. Utility trucks, trucks with water, food, supplies were lined up out of harm's way waiting for the storm to pass. We were fortunate, we did not need a FEMA trailer. Our house was damaged by not uninhabitable. We were lucky. Many, many people here were less fortunate. Many here are still living in FEMA trailers and I suspect they are grateful to have them. Until you have walked in the shoes of hurricane survivors, please don't point fingers. The people are surviving the best they can and the Government is helping as quickly as they can. Unlike the storms which can destroy an entire area in just a couple of hours, help and rebuilding takes a bit longer. Life is very, very hard after a storm like Charley or Katrina or Ivan. It doesn't get easier for a long time but you do establish a routine that works for you during the time you are awaiting power to come back on, getting your insurance money so you can begin the rebuilding process and then, last but not least, finding a contractor to make the repairs. It seems ludicrous to me that someone in Michigan or some other state not dealing with the destruction on a daily basis can sit back at their computer and make snap judgments about any of this mess.

Just returned home to Lansing, MI from volunteering in Ocean Springs, MS. I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to see the damage in Biloxi, Waveland, and Bay St. Louis. I just want to extend my true regret and sorrow for everyone that expeirenced loss along the coast and in Mississippi. I am truley sorry for what you have been put through and are going through right now. I took many pictures and am doing my best to get the word out up here in Michigan that things are still really messed up down there. It was truley a life changing experience to see what can happen in the blink of an eye. I am working on organizing another volunteer trip down there and am trying to bring down some financial backing and donation this time. We are ignorant in the North to what it is really like down there and for what its worth, its not all our fault. The media causes us to have short term memory loss about what happened and I am going to do what I can to share my experience with as many people as I can. Much love to all of you and I wish with all of my heart you the best.

still waiting for a FEMA trailer, in Diamondhead, MS no answers when you call, Have slept in more than 50 locations since the storm. I would love to get a trailer and help my neighborhood get back on it's feet. I think some parts of the MS Gulf Coast have been forgotten. Mostly Hancock County. Just my opinion. God Bless and many Thanks to friends and families and organizations who have helped all of the Katrina victims.

I would have preferred not to have handouts, as a matter of fact I would perfer not to have had a Katrina, but I did, along with thousands of others. I, like them, not only lost my home to a 7 foot surge, but also lost our business. Due to being elderly and the slow lack of work we could not affod flood insurance. Our home insurance covered wind and fire and since hurricanes aren't included in the wind part we can't rebuild our home. If we do it must be 6 to 8 feet off the ground. I have lost five children, my mother, father, two sisters and a brother and every memory on paper or tape I had of them. Talk about pain, hurt and tears, I'm still crying people, but there has been a world of wonderful people that's come into my husbands and my life since this storm has almost totally destroyed us. I thank God for each and every kindness given us, and "handed out" to us. I also truly thank Fema for this "sardine can" we're living in, but I feel they could have given us a mobile home to own instead of paying the huge amount for this trailor. A roof, a bed, a stove, but no tent, thank God. We are a couple of the lucky ones. It's too bad so many people has to be so cruel with their comments and insults when they don't have to stand in our shoes. May God have mercy on them that they never have to suffer the way the folks on the Gulf Coast, or any other disaster-hit area has. Love and prayers to all of you from Lower Alabama.

I have space in Jackson County Mississippi for FEMA travel Trailers.
Two four acre lots
One three acre and one five acre.
How do I go about contacting the dept that places the trailers ?

I was just reading all of these comments aout how F.E.M.A. is wasting money on stupid things like trailers and money to put people on big cruise ships. why dont they just give us $140,000 dollars so we can just buy a new house. why dont all of you that are bitching about it stop and think for a second. even if you buy a house out of state or in a different part of the state where are you supposed to go while you look for a house? better yet where are you going to go when you buy the house and you can not move in untill it closes escrow? those trailers and cruise ships sound a little better than sleeping out in the open when the temperature drops to 30 at night? I also here alot of God have mercy on those people that are stating there opinion that they never have anything like this happen to them. Well i hate to burst your bubble but Louisiana and Mississippi are not the only places to ever have a natural disaster. so dont go thinkin you are the first people to ever be involved in something like this because you are not. And there are many other things i can think of that would be and could be worse than a hurricane

We want to thank all the wonderful people who have volunteered of themselves and time to help all of the peoples down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As for the ones who have just complained and done nothing .... oh except have your government spend your tax dollars... have you forgotten we had and I mean had jobs and paid taxes ourselves. As some of the other writers have said worked all our lives paying taxes. So if you feel it was only your tax dollars I suppose you are the only one who has had a job!!! What ever people may think of the people down here we on the coast worked (yes past tense) just for now. But fear not we are still working not at the jobs we had but cleaning up miles, at least the entire length of the Gulf Coast and at least 30ft deep in some areas. I suppose you would think it wonderful that some of the debris was washed out into the Gulf oh that is another story. But your tax dollars were saved from having to clean up peoples lots. Their entire homes and everything was washed away! Now for the set up of these FEMA trailers that only take 3 to 4 hours. To A Carr and the others the majority of these are not going to camp grounds where the lots have been leveled and setup so you can just drive you little camper up to the hook-ups and wa-la there you go. As said before these trailers have to be level for one and the one we have was set on 6 sets of cement blocks, anchored to the ground front 2 and back 2. Someone had to come out and set up a utility pole for eletric, then a 4" pipe had to be run to our septic tank and tied into the regular line. And we were lucky we could hook the 2 hoses to the water hose. Yep we have been camping in an RV and this is nothing like camping! And as far as the family who chose to live in a camper while building a new home that was a choice. Also remember you were able to move out when it got cold. We on the other hand have no other place to go.
Now for the goverment waste, Yes I think it is insane to pay cruise ships $240 per cabin (is it) a day... Just like when they found FEMA paying $450. per nite in luxury hotels. Government Waste! That is not the fault of the people here living in campers. We are not receiving that kind of money a day. And the ones sapping the system living in the most expensive hotels who could go to cheaper Hotels. And not to mention the pictures I have of the contractors working for the Corps of Engineers supposed supervisors sitting in lawn chairs. As the saying goes " Too many bosses and not enough workers". Then you have the other people and I know of some personally who got just as much for their home damages from FEMA to repair their home as we got from the insurance Co. for which we paid for every year. Then when go to them explaining that we don't have enough to even repair our house back to somewhat where it was they tell us we don't qualify.
So if I got this right we would have come out better off for having no insurance than trying to do things the correct way and take care of ourselves.
And believe me they are lots of those. Then you have the ones who paid insurance and are having to fight to get one penny out of the insurance and FEMA tells them they don't qualify for that kind of give-a-way because they had insurance.
Someone please tell me why should someone who cared nothing for their property before the storm get 10's of thousands of dollars to repair their homes. Then others who paid in and got ripped off by the insurance companies get nothing.
The true saviors of this area have been the church based organizations not the Goverment. If we had to wait on the government to take care of us we would still be in tents and living off MREs.
Thanks to all who have helped and still are.

Almost forgot while you people are sitting up in some other part of the country we down here are doing the best we can. The worst part is no one has a plan of what they will do with all these trailers here especially the ones sitting next to the homes we are rebuilding in the event of another Hurricane hitting near here in just a couple of months. That is when we start the season over again. I can just hear the insurance companies now how they won't pay cause the FEMA trailer caused the damage to the house. Just a thought. And remember every area of the country has it's problems. I am thankful the last bad one Camille was over 34 years ago.

I would love to have one of those trailers to live in. I have been raising 3 gradkids they are all grown but 1 now. I spent what I would have saved for retirement raising them I would love to have one to live in.

I live in Birmingham and my husband works not far from a major train line. Every day we see at least 3 trains pulling 100 fema trailers headed south of us. I want to know where they are going? I know of too many who have to sleep in tents, a family that is living in a shell with three walls and tarps over the open end or ending up having to leave their clean up jobs because of small children and no where to stay. Who do I call to ask why I see them but no one is getting them? Somebody is getting either a kick back or they are sitting empty no doubt. Just makes you sick to your stomach at the total mess up this has been.

After reading some of the comments regarding the Rv's and individuals not having proper flood insurance or not at all is unbelievable. I live in the state of connecticut and, here if you live in a flood zone your property is automatically placed for flood insurance. I feel it was the lack of communication on behalf of the mortgage companies who provided mortgages to these families knowingly that certain areas are redlined for floodzone. I would contact a realestate attorney regarding this matter. Because, when anyone purchases property be it flood zone area or not you have to have homeowners insurance on that lien to protect the interest of the mortgage co. Now why, would they not protect there interests in this case? Especially when they knew that certain areas throughout louisiana particularly were in a "Flood"
"Zone". Makes no sense to me. My mother lives in a flood zone and, she was forced placed flood insurance through her mortgage company because she lived in a flood zone and they "Mortgage Co." were protecting there interests in the property for which they mortgaged for her. They should be held liable for not telling these folks that they either lived in a flood zone and they were required to purchase it.

But keep your eye on those trailers...I will bet anyone... someone is lurking out thier someplace to make a literal fortune to take those "UNITS" away.and I will also bet that it will take less time than it did to get them thier in the first place...They will be talking about this one longer than they have "area 51"..........

We just made a trip down to the coast,and everything we had heard is true,It looks like a war zone.I have been thru floods and a fire,and either way,you have to start off with nothing. Fema was there for us during the flood along with the Red Cross and the local churches,we were certainly gratefull for all of the help received. With the fire,we had little insurance and so with 4 kids to provide for we bought a mobile home to replace the other one that had just burnt.Just so we could keep a roof over our heads.It was not as nice as the one that had burned,but we were all able to be together.That meant so much to us.I can only immagine what it would be like to have faced Katrina or any other like disaster,but I know not losing any one of the family made us all aware of the real things that matter in this life. Our children and each other.
Prayers to God will help from all of us. SS,Vicksburg,Ms

It's funny how when its not in your backyard you can be so negative ,I live southeast Louisiana where the eye of Katrina made landfall our town is gone and dont see much of any rebuilding my home with many other are gone never to be seen again you should ask those owners who are living in Fema trailers not by choice what they feel about these boxes where every Tom,Dick and Harry constantly parades through your home like its a mall, Saturday, Sunday, anyday and if your not home well they have a key they dont need your permission its the GOVERMENTS trailer not ours so if you want mine come get it and its 1 year later 7/26/06 many people dont understand the magnitude of this destruction if your tired of seeing it well just think how we feel.

i think they need to take all the money they r sending to countries across seas and use it to help the people here.i love gulfport.it was my little piece of heaven! plz dont throw those people out side just stop and think the ones that want u to move and take away what u have now it will all come back to them.i think as long as the people r taking care of the trailers or whatever way they have to live life leave them a long and stop being so smart just stop and think how u would feel if ur world was turned upside down.

I have read some of these comments about the tax payers paying for these trailers,money,etc and I think,why do they have to complain when tax payers pay for school grants,public assistance and keeping inmates in jail.This is so different,it was a disaster.Instead of downing people here in the gulf coast,you should sympathize with them.How would you feel if you lost everything from your childhood,your childrens childhood,and family that died in this.This hate mail is asinine.