This is such a scary and uneccessary thing for these people to have to endure. If the trailer manufacturers are not willing to speak out about their brands and these same brands be investigated , how do we know millions of people buying and living in mobile homes are not suffering the same fate of cancer and other illnesses? My mother resided in a mobile home for 5 years and died of brain cancer. There is no history of any kind of cancer in her family. This is very tragic.

I spent some time in one of these horrible tin cans while visiting my daughter and her family in Waveland last March. These are not luxurious RVs! The model in their yard had only two small windows at each end. When it rained, as it often does in this part of the country, the door had to be closed. Not only was it stuffy but also no place to be if you are claustrophobic.

The beds were as hard as concrete. The heater didn't work and we found out after months of living in it that the smoke alarms still had plastic around the batteries. I thank God that our family had the means to help our kids repair their home enough to be lived in. Even without cabinets, carpet and appliances they are blessed to be out of the trailer.

The trailer sat in their front yard for months after it was no longer needed. They couldn't get anyone to move it and weren't allowed to do it themselves - and there were still people living in tents.

Amazing...first, let us hand you a $2,000 debit card, plus give you free housing for almost a year. What happened to the formaldehyde notice in these new trailers? My husband was born and raised in Palm Beach county, Florida and endured quite a few hurricanes in his day. At no time was assistance provided by the federal government. We are still trying to recover from Jean and Francis, so please quit complaining. At least you have a roof over your head.

I received my FEMA travel trailer on 3 Jan. The date of manufacture on the side of the trailer is 23 Dec. I believe the short time from factory to me being in it is largely responsible for why the formaldehyde was as strong as it was. I am familiar with formaldehyde both because of my years in construction and the lab time spent studying preserved body parts for my new career. Never had formaldehyde been overwhelming until I received my trailer. Fortunately I still had my tent and slept in it for the first week while keeping the trailer windows open to air it out. It was a month before I no longer noticed the smell.. Now, 7 months later I have to wonder if the test would show much of anything. Could the reason for the delay before deciding to test be exactly for that reason? Aside from us who have moved into the trailers, what must the exposure be for those who build them, the daily exposure they receive before the formaldehyde can dissipate?

Of course, what do you think all the furniture has in it? Years ago when we went shopping for camping trailers, I could tell there was a nasty smell in all of them and they made my eyes and throat burn.

I have been aware of the fumes in manufactured homes for 20-30 years. This is not a new problem. The government gives these people free housing and now they are going to sue jumping at the opportunity to sue and get free money from the government. Give them tents and sleeping bags, I am tired of hearing complaints from people doing nothing to help themselves. I live in Pensacola, FL where Ivan hit two years ago. I know people that lived rent free for more than 18 mos and did nothing to improve themselves and make arrangements to move, absolutely nothing. Now the parks are closing down and they are complaining because FEMA isn't finding them housing.

Please invite Mr RVIA don't-have-an-idea-what-I'm-talking-about to come live down here anywhere on the Gulf coast in one of the Fema trailers he is so proud of. Invite him to enjoy life w/his doors and windows open. But warn him he may just wind up MIA-we might find his watch in the marsh or bayou where the mosquitos have invited him home to dinner.
Get those trailers inspected NOW!Hasn't everyone suffered enough?

I applaud EPA's decision to sample the trailers for formaldehyde. I would hope that they use the same procedures and techniques as does OSHA when sampling a workplace for eight-hour time-weighted averages. And of course, if they need any Industrial Hygienists to help in the process, I will be happy to offer my services free of charge.

Now, if the EPA can just get some of their current consultants to tell us what the particulate concentration of the World Trade Center dust clouds were in milligrams per cubic meter. Five years is a long time to wait for that number.

I have been having health issues since i bought a new travel trailer last year ,how do i go about having my trailer tested.And why didn't the dealer tell me of these health problems with trailers? Thank you Mr. Baumgardner

Well, just as many of us predicted in "talkback" on the last article on this issue, the greedy lawyers have stepped in. AND they are asking for class action status.

The RV industry busted their chops to get trailers built for Katrina victims and this is what they get in return for their efforts......class action lawsuits by Katrina "victims" who don't know how to open their windows and air out their trailers.

Why is it that thousands and thousands of people who BOUGHT RV trailers for their personal pleasure have not had these problems???? Why have only Katrina victims had this problem? Must be some evil government plot to rid the world of Katrina victims.

Having said that, most victims of Katrina are hard working, "pick yourself up by the bootstraps" people. As usual, only the whiners get into the headlines. And these whiners are going to cost the RV industry and the taxpayers a lot of money. Let's see how happy they are when the lawyers take most of the money.

It is encouraging to read that the EPA and FEMA are making some type of effort to test the travel trailers for excessive levels of formaldehyde. With increased scrutiny by the public now that it is hurricane season again and FEMA is being observed more closely by everyone, perhaps the travel trailer safety issues will get more attention.

On the other hand, it is not so encouraging to read that the official positions of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RIVA) are (a) that "there is no health risk associated with living in a travel trailer" and (b) that travel trailer dwellers in the Gulf Coast region can reduce the formaldehyde emission rates by "opening the doors and windows to improve ventilation".

As nearly everyone in the known universe knows, when the temperature is in Gulf Coast region in triple digits, what could possibly be more fun than opening all the doors and windows of an air-conditioned travel trailer or temporary dwelling . . .

Perhaps RIVA spokesman Kevin Broom would be willing to live in one of the fabulous FEMA travel trailers beginning today and continuing through the end of this year's hurricane season--with the doors and windows of his fabulous FEMA travel trailer open, which as he suggests leads to improved ventilation?

RIVA spokesman Kevin Broom certainly deserves all the marvelous Gulf Coast improved ventilation he can enjoy while living in a FEMA travel trailer in the middle of an unusually hot and humid summer!

In the realm of things that people should believe, for example, I tend to get a higher level of comfort about the safety systems of Chrysler automobiles when I see an advertisement of the CEO of the company ("Dr. Z") driving a Chrysler into a concrete wall and then emerging unharmed from the vehicle, since the airbags and safety systems worked. It is hard to beat that, in terms of making a strong statement without using a lot of words.

RIVA spokesman Kevin Broom could do something similar by spending the next few months in a wonderful FEMA travel trailer in the Gulf Coast region, with the doors and windows open "to improve ventilation".

Just guessing, but most likely Mr. Broom probably would not be so happy about travel trailer living by the end of the first day or two . . .

Thanks!

JD

this has been a problem for many years, its nothing new. why do they still make trailers that way?
or did they give them old trailers?

If there is formaldehyde present, then foam insulation was probably used in the trailers. It has been known for some time now that over time foam insulation will release formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is a naturally ocurring substance. In fact, given the nature of the material, it does not reach a dangerous level until the surroundung atmosphere is unbearable for someone without a respirator.

I tell those people get out of those trailers now and run for your lives!!! I got formaldehyde poisoning from an apartment I lived in 20 years ago from the same types of materials that these trailers are built from (particle board and other board). I'm here to tell you that after 1 month of living with these fumes and having the Health Dept. test the air, frankly no level is really safe. After 20 years I am still feeling the effects of the poisoning and it's not good. It has never gone away. I understand it is a difficult situation, and you may not have alternative living situations, but believe me when I tell you, do what you can to find them because your health WILL SUFFER!!!

I'd like to know how much the tennents of these travel trailers pay for the travel travel trailers. If they don't buy them then how much is their rent. if they don't buy or rent them then they shouldn't be able to sue the government or the manufacturer. Both the government and the manufacturer are trying to meet the needs of the displaced persons from Katrina. I've had travel trailers in the past and realized that their is an odor with a new one, i was smart enough to open windows and doors until the odor went away. i guess the displaced persons from katrina weren't smart enough to live above sea level so it should be up to the government to personally go to each travel trailer occupant (probably on a daily basis) and make sure they open windows and doors for them. We should probably tell them when to get out of the rain too.

What is causing formaldehyde to be emitted from those trailers?

46 complaints, huh, as many trailors that are on the coast shoot 46 are gonna find SOMETHING to complain about if they don't like the trailor....move out and pitch a tent, man put a roof over someone's head and they wanna bit**...and you always find someone who's gonna file a lawsuit...that's what is wrong with our country

Please make Laura Bush and her Daughters move into one of these trailers for 90 days, and let's see if the problem is fixed! Next 90 day stop should move them to Beirut and let’s see if they change their views on Israel and whether we should demand a cease fire. Then have them spend the next 3 months in Iraq outside of the most favored green zone with a democratically engaged Suni family in the town of Hit. Perhaps they would recommend that they should leave the area, the city, the country and take all of our military with them. If they survive that, let them end the year with a three month stay in Darfur. They could surely find space in one of our resort tent cities; after all it is the last stop before you get to Hell. The problem with our government today is that they are completely out of touch with middle and lower income families here in the USA. This means they have no concept of a poor person’s plight in a third world country, it is after all hard to imagine that there is a life worse than a drug infested, homeless, washed up crack whore with three kids to raise. Just add slave to that life and you begin to understand the whole suicide bomber thing. I used to think that war was between the Haves and Have not’s but I think it may be more accurate to say that it is between the have it all’s and the have less than nothing’s.

Mike Andrews needs to make the names of the brands and models of these toxic trailers public. These companies need to be punished where it hurts, in their wallets. The camper/trailer buying public also needs to be protected.

You know, it's really very sad that the people who have lost practically everything they have must now have to contend with being "poisoned" in the only place they have to live. Then someone from the travel trailer industry says they can solve the problem by 'opening doors and windows to improve ventilation"! Don't they realize how hot and humid it is this time of year in Mississippi? So let's see now; they can stay inside and use the air conditioning to beat the heat or they can open the doors and windows and have heat-related problems. Some choices for those folks that need the help the most from all of us.

Is HUD aware that there are hundreds of thousands of full-time recreational vehicle inhabitants in the US, most of whom are retired? If there is a formaldehyde problem in RV's then it is much more widespread than just in the Katrina trailers.

One of my friends just spent over $100,000.00 on a very beautiful double wide mobile home. When I was helping move in the other day I noticed a HUGE sign posted on the counter WARNING of the use of Formaldehyde in the home.

This is a hard situation - These people really needed homes. I guess almost any "Mobile Home" has formaldehyde - I'm probably right to assume that most new "built" homes also have formaldehyde in them.

These people need roofs over their heads. Sometimes you just have to take the good along with the not so good. It's just a shame that the same people that suffered such loss is having to deal with this also.

if you have a trailer no one wants send it to me no complaints from this direction

Get yourselves out of that trailer! It's emergency shelter not permanent housing! What are you still doing in there. If you can't find work, move to where work is and find better housing there! Stop bothering the Government for things you should be providing for yourselves!

Lawsuit? Lawsuit? Against the federal government? You have got to be kidding. The government responded during a time of crisis to get people a roof over their head and out of the weather. I think that testing individual trailers for formaldehyde concentrations would have been the least of the worries of anybody at that time. Whoever is promoting this lawsuit shoud be very ashamed of themselves. If a trailer is bad, just have it replaced. How can anyone turn against their own government over an issue such as this? Do I smell the ACLU somewhere out there? Inquiringly, David in Atlanta

What a shame. First we buy all these trailers that cant be utilized because of zoning or land availability, and now we find that they are probably unsafe to live in. Hey, it's only money!

High heat, humidity and yet, Mr. Broom suggest opening windows and doors for better ventilation!! Assuming these trailers have central a.c./heat - and knowing electric rates are extremely high, these people can't win! Who pays their utility bills?

The trailers you were telling us about last week

... and if the residents were to open the doors and windows in the middle of summer, they would die of heat stroke -- in the winter they would freeze to death...

Let's try locking Kevin Broom in a trailer for a week with all the doors and windows shut so he can keep his window unit running and keep the trailer cool and see how he feels when he gets formaldehyde poisoning.

Headline, "FEMA Flip Flop"
Wow. No agenda behind that, eh?
So FEMA responds to health concerns, and doing so constitutes a "flip flop." Guess they would have been better off ignoring the issue?
Rock on, MSNBC!

After reading reports the honest conclusion is always been the same: FEMA NEED TO BE ABOLISHED, it never did or will do anything wright because the incompetent goverment employees it has.

This should be done for all mobile home communities - not just those! There should be something done immediately - my father and brother died from lung cancer (age 47 and age 81) - both after they moved to Florida and lived in mobile homes - in fact, my brother worked for the park and helped set them up and sold them - constant exposure to formaldehyde for both.

Kevin Broom, RVIA spokesman, stated in the article that "residents could solve the problem by opening doors and windows to improve ventilation"

Mr. Broom, do you know how HOT it gets in the deep South, especially in August? These people are not living in areas where air conditioning is a luxury. In the South, Air Conditioning is a NECESSITY. So the sick and elderly can either die from exposure to the carcinogen or from exposure to heat. Brilliant statement Mr. Broom!

i AGREE IT'S TIME TO PICK UP AND MOVE ON THOSE TRAILERS ARE NOT PERMANENT HOUSEING.

What's it been...almost a year. The people living in those trailers...we're they homeless before? It's a sad deal all the way around, but come on...it's been quite a while and their are jobs out there to be had in neighboring states. I know if I were faced with the same situation and the same circumstances, me and mine would move to where I could provide for my family instead of living off of government subsidies and substandard living conditions. To add, for the nay sayers, FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management...not welfare...it's time FEMA pulls out of this game and passes it along to some other agency that is setup to handle longer term issues. FEMA handled the Katrina issue...rather poorly...but that is over. Time to pack up and move...for everyone concerned. Lastly, those in New Orleans...the soup bowl of the south...time to take some dirt and fill that hole in before you decide to rebuild, don't ya think???

And WHO do the sick and injured turn to?
TRIAL LAWYERS who will work to make things right. Or you can just open your windows for ventilation.

I sell travel trailers for a living. When we receive new units from the factory they have to be aired out for about three days in order to dissapate the formaldahyde. That's all it takes. If after all this time someone wants to sue they should be investigated for fraud

Okay...Okay.....let's keep focus on the real problem..Saving lives and helping those that survived Katrina. Forget the ridiculous lawsuits,the crazy idea of opening and closing windows and doors in extreme heat, plus not to mention the toxins still left over from Katrina. For the life of me, I can't figure out why our "government" and the so call leaders of our country can't figure out the most basic and simple things that matters the most to Americans...."Saving and restoring American lives". As a taxpayer, I get very upset on the notion that my money is being spent unwisely and untimely. Once again, our country lacks strong solid leadership that should demand change and know how to expedite it quickly.

I find it amazing that people are so quick to want to sue or place the blame on someone else or a goverment enity, because they cannot figure to open the windows and doors of a "new" travel trailer or mobile home to air it out. As for the batteries of the smoke detectors still being wrapped in plastic, I can only say "duh"...would these same people pissing and moaning check to see if there were even batteries? They need to remember along with all those who feel "we the people" should do more to never "assume" anything. I cannot understand the ungrateful attitude of some people...this is temporary housing....inspect it prior to heading out to buy the 150.00 Nikes for yourself.

In any tragedy there are people who will pull themselves up and get on with their lives. AND, there are people who will use the tragedy to get whatever they can with little effort. America is that land of opportunity. I agree there should have been some kind of warning come with the trailers as they were brand new, but making the companies who donated them suffer because they were trying to help isn't the answer. People were scattered all over the US because of Katrina and Rita. Most of those who were displaced simply took up their profession in whichever town they ended up. In my area there are many survivors who are working hard to make a new life, but there are a group of those survivors who are now pickpocketing, robbing, selling drugs, etc. just like they did before...just a new location. The Gulf Coast will survive and be better than ever, cities will cull out the riffraff and jail the bad guys and we'll all carry on. God bless America...it is still the best country in which to live.

Your headling "FEMA U-TURN on trailor tests" is wrong. I don't work for FEMA but my friends who do told me that the EPA started testing trailors when FEMA received the first complaint, well before it ever made the press. By the way, what do you think that "new car smell" is? Formaldehyde, just like in the new travel trailors.

How bout those lazy people get a job and get out of those trailers? Quit complaining and start fending for yourselves. The Katrina victims that still rely on the golden ticket from our government need to be shaken out of those trailers and be shown what homeless really means. STOP RELYING ON MY TAX DOLLARS TO SUPPORT YOUR LAZY BUTTS!

Lets save some money on the lawsuits and just give these people a fair settlement - you know - let them move back into tents or sports stadiums and refund every penny they have paid to purchase or rent those "awful" trailers - oh...wait......

Formaldehyde Fumes in trailers is nothing new. You can't breathe in a new trailer. It's been like that for 30+ years. I am suprised it took this long for action. The trailer manufacturers need to be placed in shackles & jailed.

I really should stop reading these comments. They never fail to make my blood pressure soar. To those who are saying that the hurricane victims should leave the windows open or get out, get a job and buy thier own home, I have an example for you.

I know a very sweet, hard working, elderly couple who was rendered homeless by Katrina. They have both worked hard their entire life, raised their children well, and were living in their home that they worked to pay for. All of these years, they have both paid in taxes. Now they are elderly and disabled and cannot get jobs. As stated before, they lost their home and everything in it to the hurricane.

They are now living in a FEMA trailer. The gentleman is over 6'3" tall and has to do contortions to sleep on the hard, short, narrow bunk that comes in these trailers. The trailer came with weird little pots with round bottoms that won't sit on the stove correctly. It's almost impossible to cook on these. The heat here gets into the triple digits along with smothering humidity. Elderly people are dying every day from the heat. Are they supposed to open their windows, let in the heat and humidity so that they can get fresh air, yet die of a heat stroke?

Who is going to hire an elderly, disabled couple to work for them, and exactly what kind of work do you think they can do? After all these years of working and paying taxes into our system, do you honestly think they have no right to expect the government to give a little of it back in order to give them a healthy living environment?

How are these people supposed to help themselves? Please give me some really good, constructive advice for them, since some of you know so much. I'll be sure to pass it along ASAP.

It's been a year....why is there still people living in the trailers? Oh yeah, they're the ones who think the government owes them lifelong support! How stupid of me, a hardworking taxpayer, to complain. What else did I think my taxes were going for other than helping those who don't want to help themselves.
And all we need to add to the mix is a bunch of greedy ambulance chasing lawyers to scream "foul" for these people with the only intention of lining their pockets. I was in a class action lawsuit, the lawyers got 30 million to divide and I got 59 cents. Go figure!

If you don't like the heat, get out of the Kitchen!!!

Each trailer should have come with a notice, placed by the manufacturer of the trailer, that windows and doors need to be kept open until the fumes dissipate. One would think that this would be standard practice for all new trailers, not just the ones being bought by FEMA. Don't make assumptions about what most would consider common sense.

Paul Ford -you are an Idiot. How in the world did you find this site? Have you read any of the other info that is provided on this site? People do not want to live in trailers down here. They want homes, just like the ones they had before the storm. They are grateful to the goverment for the roof over their heads. The majority of the people that are living in trailers have never in their lives been on welfair, or taken one penny from the goverment. These people had Insurance to cover any loss and savings to cover any problem. 30,000 + homes are gone, if there was a house available it was snatched up. If you are working here and have a good job, and your family is here, do you pick up and leave? If you are in business here do you close the door and let everything you worked all your life for go down the drain? Well NO Idiot, you don't! You lace up your boots and you go to work. You do what ever you have to to make the area normal again. If you were lucky and you actualy recieved the insurance coverage money you were owed, you got on a list with a builder. If you had something that even resembled a house that was gutted you are in the process of putting it back together on weekends and evenings when you get home from work. People like you make me so mad - I want to spit- untill you suffer this type of mass catastrophe you will not understand what these people are going through, nor will you care. I can't even wish it on you!

Well let's think about this a little bit. The smell of formaldehyde comes from building materials used in NEW trailers. Therefor, if you do air out the trailor when you first get it, the smell will disapear. It's kind of like that "new car smell". It doens't last forever. Granted FEMA and the Goverment could have handled the situation a little better, they've responded more so than any other country would. It's sad as American's we have to complain about everything, even free stuff. Air out your trailor, get to work, get out of the trailor, get back to a normal life. Stop free loading and complaning. If you're going to free load, don't complain.

Hello! American How fortunate we are living in this country. After Herricane Govt. are trying to provide
something than nothing. Look into Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afganistan. After Hurrincane, earth quake they have to start by themselves all over again. Is a push and push to get more and still not good enough, Govt.provides. But it is Tax payer, who is footing this bill. payere's money

STOP LOOKING FOR THE EASY WAY OUT,THERE HAS BEEN MANY STORMS BEFORE AND PEOPLE HELP EACH OTHER OUT IN A TIME OF NEED.YOU GET MONEY YOUR NOT HAPPY YOU GET FOOD YOUR NOT HAPPY,YOU GET A TRAILER YOUR NOT HAPPY.WHY NOT GET A JOB THEN YOU WONT BE THERE TO SMELL IT.ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A EASY WAY OUT.NOW A LAW SUIT,IF YOUR GOVERMENT IS NOT GOING TO HELP YOU ,HELP YOURSELF INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING FOR HANDOUTS.

I believe all comments are valid, however if there is a clear and present danger it should be corrected. People should not be so quick to sue because the trailers were put there to help in an emergency situation. Correct it if you can or move.

A friend of mine lived in a mobile home constructed in the 70's and always insisted that one window remain partially open throughout the year. He said that the home originally came with a warning which stated that fresh air flow into the house was essential. I never quite understood the rational for the warning but I suspect it is related to this problem and if true it does not appear that anyone investigated the negative attributes of using travel trailers for housing. This problem is not new.

every trailer/motorhome sold in the usa has a sign warning of formaldehyde posted and has so for years the industry is 40/50 yrs old and has sold millions of these units stop the bellyaching and open the windows to air the units out,shoot the lawyers they are killing our country

People need to quit whining about their miserable lives and how the government is responsible for it. We created that problem ourselves. My working class neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale did not need any assistance from anyone last year. We took care of ourselves and our own. We have come to expect nothing from our government and are usually right.

i bought a new mobile home a number of years ago. it took 5 years for the formaldehyde smell to subside. afew years later my wife died of lung cancer from exposure to formaldehyde.

Sad. FEMA never did anything? Maybe they didn't get it "wright" but NOT for a lack of trying. As did the rest of us.
Once it was clear to the rest of the nation how badly the people of the Gulf coast where hit, hundreds, or thousands of us pulled together and busted our butts to do something to help. Personally I worked 8 to 10 hours everyday after work to help clean and pack donations and load them onto trucks.
For weeks. I have friends that dropped everything in their lives and drove down there to help with search and rescue and the rebuilding effort, living in those same type of trailers. Yet the victims keep on claiming how they are "entitled" to more, and how FEMA and the goverment failed them. Maybe FEMA wasnt ready for something of that scale to hit the US, but without a doubt the rest of the country did all it could to help pick up the slack.

Next time you are hit by a major storm, your own your own. That way when things arent as good as you feel your entitled to... you can sue yourself.

Wa, wa, wa! Cry some more you so-called "victims" of hurricane Katrina. All I hear is complaining from these people, when is it going to be enough? Do you want the government to put you up at the Hilton for the rest of your lives? Truth be told, a huge chunk of the "victims" did not pay for their original homes to begin with, it was government paid or subsidized housing. I can sympathize with losing your belongings, that is sad, but life could be a lot worse. You should be so fortunate to be living in the wealthiest nation in the world, where a person can work and earn money, and not be reliant on the government to provide them with everything. I live in Houston, I've watched the abuse of our government first hand, seen the FEMA issued debit cards pay for Gucci purses and ciggarettes, and heard the "victims" complain about getting moved out of their hotels after 10 months, so I ask the question: What is it that these people want? Why does everyone in this country think they are entitled? No one, except children, is entitled to anything except the air you breathe. Go out and work for what you want, the rest of the country does it. News flash: you are not entitled to a house over your head, food in your belly, or money in your pocketbook. If you want it, work for it. I'm sick of working and having my tax dollars go to paying for some "victims" housing, food, and gucci purses. Get it yourself. No one gave me a hand out, I worked for what I have. How about a little gratitude for once? Every day you should just thank God in heaven that you live in this country where you can work and earn the money to pay for what you need.

It's frustrating to me to hear the stories again and again how nothing is ever good enough. A natural disaster wreaked havoc on the south last year, and the federal government, while they have their problems too, did what they could to help. I understand that "poisining" is happening, but the government did not plan for that to happen. People in our country expect too much to be handed to them, rather than getting out and working for it themselves. No, I have not been through a disaster as difficult as Katrina, but we all go through difficult times. Do you suppose the victims of the Tsunami a couple years back had free homes and food handed to them from their governments? I doubt it. Every where but America people know that you have to work to keep yourself afloat. I'm sorry that people are suffering, I feel for them. But I have a very hard time giving to them when all they do is complain that their not getting enough!! I struggle to keep my family fed and housed, but I do it by working. I hate that I am made to feel guilty for not giving more. These people that complain the government is not doing enough to help, are the same people who complain about higher taxes. Well, where do you suppose the money is coming from to GIVE you food, GIVE you shelter?? TAXES that's where. So please, while I understand you've been through a lot, get over it, and stoped trying to sue the hand that feeds you.

To Doug in Atlanta,
So everything currently happening in the world is the current administrations fault? We should demand a cease fire in Israel? way to stay on topic!!! I'm sure your ramblings have changed some readers minds (please note sarcasm)

Why are these people not working and making an effort to take care of themselves. The Federal Goverment should not be housing people for an extended period of time. They should find a job and move ahead with their lives. Sitting around whining about how poorly they are being treated is why many hard working Americans are tired of hearing about them and all their problems.

I have to say you guys are kind of dumb. First of all the Katrina victims have every right in the world to sew the Bush government. I mean every year a hurricane hits, and I don't see the government doing anything to prevent it. And why is that? It's because they find it too expensive to build stuff to prevent it, but then when the hurricane hits and people are dying they go save everyone and look like the good guys. How much time did it take for bush to go help those people in new orleans? Way too long. If he had spent maybe just a million dollars on hurricane prevention plenty of people would've been saved and he wouldnt've had to spend that other 30 billion dollars to save all those innocent "Lower" class people and rebuild the whole city. And all you guys from up north are complaining about Katrina victims sewing the government. The least Bush could've done was to give them good trailers that won't kill more innocent people. Look at how long it's been since the huricane, and most poor people still live in tents or in these apparently contaminated trailors. So I think all you people complaining about how people in New-orleans aren't able to find jobs and they are stupid because of that should realy stop and think just for one minute. For now their are barely any jobs over there and if they dont have enough money to rebuil their home how the hell are they supposed to move away and buy another one?

Has anyone addressed the question of the chemical treatment being used in the holding tanks? I own a parts and supply business serving the Trailer, RV and Mobile Home industries. I sell tank treatments containing NO formaldehyde. What type of treatments are the residents using and are they creating they're own problem? I have been on the phone with FEMA today to find a trail as to what is being used to treat holding tanks, who supplies it and what are the contents of the treatment. No luck. I was told by a lady at FEMA in New Orleans my idea to call the Mayor and News media to get my theory heard would be my best avenue. Maybe the expensive air testing contracts have already been awarded. There's no doubt the results will show,"Yup, there's formaldehyde in the air" Is it the construction materials used by the industry or is it the use of less expensive, toxic holding tank treatment? Inventory the treatment being used and list the chemical contents. The problem might be fixed with a simple solution. Just a thought.

I can almost guarantee you that the one lawsuit that has been filed in Louisiana, has been filed by a person, or persons that have done absolutely nothing to help themselves. This story makes me sick. I feel very bad for everyone affected by the hurricanes but why do so many feel "entitled" to handouts. It is like they are "owed" a free ride. Get up, dust yourself off and get to WORK!! The free ride has to end soon!!

My family was hit hard when Andrew "blew" into So.Florida. Did they get any federal assistance...NO. The only assistance they received was from us, their family. That's what we do, help each other. After Katrina, I donated clothes, canned food, bottled water, even money to my Church for the victims, now all I see are whiners and criers.

I do not understand why, after almost a year, these same "victims" have not found jobs or housing. I see "Job Available Inquire Within" signs all over the place when I travel, if there are no jobs there, then go to the places that have the jobs. Get up, and get to work building your life again..don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

Where do you suggest these people find work? This is not simply housing that is gone, but entire communities and the businesses in them which had previously provided jobs. An entire major American city was virtually depopulated. People can't come home if there are no jobs to work and no place to live. Going through a storm or other natural disaster is a terrible thing any time and any place, but very few of the writers above have had their entire towns wiped out, homes, business, churches, etc., as has happened in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Every victim is grateful for the help provided and they are doing all they can to help themselves. Many Gulf Coast residents and New Orleanians have gutted their own properties and rebuilt their own homes because of the shortage of labor, yet there are tent cities in City Park of the laborers working 18-hour days.

Those who have not seen the damage cannot conceive of the extent of the devastation, miles and miles and miles of rubble where life was lived last year. Please do not heap abuse on those who have lost everything and are working desperately to regain some semblance of order in their lives and homes!

If all these people had insurance on their homes than they woould not have to be put up in trailers like they were. Americans, It is time to take care of yourself and stop sucking on the tit of the government. Please understand. despite what the democrats say. George Bush did not order the hurricanes. God did.

I do not disagree that there are people out there who will take every penny they can get from the government. However, not everyone who was affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina are like that.

What about those hardworking individuals who owned homes and paid premiums for homeowner's insurance only now to find their claims denied. In my profession, I see it every day. Their homes were totally destroyed, but their insurance companies have decided not to pay. Where do these people turn? They are still working everyday to pay a note on a house that it destroyed, and probably still pay insurance premiums when their claims are being denied. There is no money left over at the end of the day to purchase alternate housing.

Until you have walked a mile in their shoes and fully undertand the situation, please don't be too quick to judge.

All of us have problems. Some of do something about them for our selves. Some sit and wait for the government to do it for them. Maybe some can't but most can. I'm just glad I don't have to be the one deciding who gets what, much less why. Do for your self and you'll come out a lot better no matter what happens.

For those who think that the people living in FEMA trailers are not working, i can assure you that the ones I have assisted in rebuilding efforts are very hardworking and do not want to rely on the government assistance any longer than they have to. Please do not assume that they are lazy freeloaders when so many, including ministers, are trying to build the Gulf Coast anew.

Almost all furniture (especially couches and carpets) and building materials such as plywood, particle board, and insulation have formaldehyde in to prevent molds, mildew, rot and insect damage--even in new stick-built housing, and new manufactured homes (mobile homes) travel trailers, and RVs. When you move into your new or remodeled house, you will encounter the same problems, but with more air to disperse the fumes you don't notice it as much. I lived in my 1977 motorhome for two years (1999-2001), and broke out with hives and developed allergy-type nose, throat and lung problems which I still have. Finally I discovered the formaldehyde in the toilet tank deodorant was the most likely cause, since the formaldehyde from the insulation, carpet, particle board floors, cabinets and walls had dissipated over 20 some years. It's necessary to preserve materials but maybe there's a less toxic treatment that could be used? Put our ingenuity to work.

So how long have these "poor people" been living in these trailers? Months now, and they are just now noticing that there is a smell to the trailers. Have they not opened their window's up on a nice day or do they just sit around and figure that some one will come and do it for them? Lets not bite the hand that feds you folks. You might think about getting up and helping yourself,s a bit. My grandma use to say god helps those who helps themselves and i dont mean to a free life or stealing or lying or cheating. So get to it,find yourself a job and if need be move on and out to a different place and stop your bellyaching and stop the lawsuits or are you still hoping for free money?

Come on people! What makes people think they need the goverment to save them, feed them, cloth them,and give them homes. I have lived in a trailer because it was all I could afford. No one gave it to me!No where in my copy of the constition of The United State of America does it put the weight on the goverment to provide for the people who suffer from acts of nature. If you can not take a huricane move inland, get a job and grow up. The working man is tired of spending money to take care of people too sorry to pull up thier boot straps and go to work. The good people of Lousiana and Mississippi that are the back bone of these states are not the ones who are sueing and complaining. You do not hear much about Homa or Dulack La. and they were hit harder than N.O. but these towns are not full of dead beats who leeched of the goverment before the storm and continue to now.

MOST OF THESE PEOPLE LIVING IN TRAILERS ARE WORKING!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE SLEEPING IN THESE TRAILERS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO HOUSES TO LIVE IN!!!!!! GET THE PICTURE- WORK ALL DAY, COME HOME TO TRAILER AT NIGHT. NO HOMES ARE BEING BUILT BECAUSE THE INSURANCE CHECKS NEVER CAME.

It is hard to believe that these people still have to live like this. These are human beings. I remember when hurricane Katrina hit and we watched endless news coverage on it for days and weeks. I remember thinking "Why is nobody helping these people" and wondering why the government was so slow to respond. They can put billions of dollars into Iraq but they dump these poor people- American citizens- off in poisonous trailers? That is horrible. How long do these people have to live in these trailers? Are they able to work? I know if I lost everything I would be so thankful to walk away with my life. It could be a fresh , new start. I wouldn't waste any time sitting around though. I think that i would be out looking for a job the very next day. So, it is kindof hard to feel sorry for people once so much time has gone by and they are just sitting around instead of getting a job. Come on people! Pull yourselves together and get out there and find work! It would get you out of the poisonous trailers faster! I just think the whole world is completely screwed up and this just adds to it. I can't imagine.

I commented on this article when it first came out. The government/FDA/EPA has known for years that high levels of formaldehyde can cause cancer. I'm living proof after living in a mobile home and then at age 35 developing breast cancer with no family history of it. So the powers above just turn their heads and ignore that people are getting sick. This story is just like what I have recently gone through with breast implants. Companies won't admit that implants make women sick as they have made me sick for the last 12 years. Then when a person is brave enough to stand up and speak out the big companies and plastic surgeons turn their heads the other way. The tests on these trailers will come back doctored or falsified and these poor people will get sicker and sicker.

I work in the RV industry and do have the opportunity to be in a finished unit closed up. Yes the vapors are there and your immediate response is to open a window. After 5 min its very tolerable. I am in these units every day and all is well for me. Most dealers have the units set up and open on their lots. Already aired out. On the other hand I believe those who have suffered a great shock in loosing their homes and personal items and facing not knowing from day to day where they stand weighs very much on a persons health. Not every one responds the same and if you have some pre illness I'm sure the shock of this all didn't make it better.

From what I saw in the response to get trailers together, to help in a great pulling together to meet those needs took place. From manufacturing product purchases and meeting demands to the drivers in caravans to transport. We were Proud to help.

Wow, there are very strong opinions here. I have to agree and disagree at the same time. I read the one from the gentleman who is working non stop and rebuilding his home in his "spare" time and I can relate. At the time of the storm, our dream home was in the process of being constructed, during the construction we were renting an apartment in another location, somehow this resulted in us being homeless and not covered by insurance. We didn't qualify for a trailer because even though we were renting we had a house; however, our construction home was not habitable, as it was just a skeleton to begin with. After the storm you couldn't find construction materials to buy and if you did manage to find materials you couldn't find a construction crew, as the big construction companies stepped in and snapped up the materials and crews for the "big business" jobs. Therefore, home construction became an uphill battle and a "do it yourself" job. Now my husband and I have jobs two states apart and "in our spare time" are trying to piece together our home ourselves that we have never even had the opportunity to stay one night in. I miss my husband and having a home, but our house isn't going to just build itself; we have to work to achieve!
At the same time, it is mind boggling that many people just did not and do not want to work. Last I knew in the area, restaurants were forced to stop seating at 7pm and WalMart closed early at night because they could not find people who wanted jobs. These are the freeloaders and the ones with the attitude "I am, therefore, I deserve." I believe in helping those who help themselves, not those who think "I am; therefore, I am owed everything and more."
For those of you that are hard working and endeavoring to put your life back together, I applaud you. For those you who have donated countless days and hours volunteering with the recovery effort of this catastrophic event, I thank you from the bottom of my heart; we are very grateful. For those of you who are living on the government, waiting for handouts and think you "deserve more," may you forever be homeless without taxpayer or charity help!

Please don't assume all FEMA trailer residents are unemployed, or that everyone still in one had no homeowner's insurance. The ones who are not employed now, are the same ones that were unemployed and on gov't assistance before Katrina- the hurricane did not instill any new-found sense of responsibility in them, I assure you. And people who were responsible, self sufficient taxpayers before Katrina did not suddenly become whiney, needy or reliant on handouts. I know several people who live in FEMA trailers and the vast majority of them are employed, most working more than one job. Many are still paying a mortgage on a house that no longer exists. And if they had a mortgage, they had homeowner's insurance, it would be impossible for it to have been otherwise. These people are taking the money they earn and, after paying their monthly bills, putting every last dollar into repairing their homes on their own. Now, if you're paying your mortgage and repairing your home, where's the money going to come from to rent a place to live in the interim, if the FEMA trailers are not being used? Rents around here have SKYROCKETED, folks... one bedroom apts $900-1000/month, 3 bedroom houses $2400/month, with long lists of people waiting. So, if they are paying their mortgages, working multiple jobs, THEN going home after work or on their days off and repairing their homes to get out of the FEMA trailer you are so vociferously ranting about, what's the problem? Do YOU need the FEMA trailer? Are they taking it from you? Our tax dollars have already paid for them, whether they are being used by people who need them to get their lives back together, or whether they are sitting on some lot unused in Hope, Arkansas or Purvis, Miss...if you need one that bad there's plenty of empty ones not being lived in. Oh, a question for the "just move!" crowd...What would be the effect on the national economy of tens of thousands of Katrina victims defaulting on their home mortgages and moving away, as so many of you short-sighted Einsteins have suggested? Are YOU prepared for a 10-12% interest rate on YOUR mortgages?

What's wrong with those residents? Are they stupid??The stench of formaldahyde is nasty, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the windows have to be opened and the place aired out,then the formaldahyde will disapate and there will be no more problems....unless you're looking for a law suit and in that case this sensationalism journalism will bring about yet another frivolous class lawsuit that makes the attorneys rich and the taxpayers poor.

Amazingly, this is not a new problem people. It took Hurricane Katrina and the trailor problems to also now open your eyes to the issues our children have faced and are facing each and every school year. They are in the same kind of trailors and from the same manufactures. I now urge more of you to move forward to request air quality control throughout the school systems using trailors. Air quality is mandated at places of employment BUT not at our schools. Why???? Schools are using trailors as "long term housing" for our kids and no one seems to care. Do you have children in trailors at school and if you do, I urge you to speak to the school board and fight to have these removed or at least air quality control testing mandated and tests released to the public. You will be amazed at the results. Both my children's trailors had immediate evacuation last year and to our surprise, we did not find out the real reason for 6 weeks. Schools do not like to be in the media unless they can boast about their State scores! My childs health is more important to me and my money is spent better on education in a healthy environment rather than the doctors offices with sick kids.

Formaldehyde outgasses for YEARS, even if there is a complete absence of smell. It is in many, many different products -- one of the most common being carpeting. That new carpet smell...that new trailer smell...should alert, but unfortunately, most of the time formaldehyde is present, you will be unable to smell it. It is a carcinogen and should be BANNED. Regardless of your situation, no one should be subjected to it. It can permanently damaged your health. If you're worried about the costs of better, chemical-free materials, wait until you find the cost to society of multiple, long-term illnesses.

Months? Do you really think people have actually had the chance to live in FEMA trailers for that long!?!?
I live in Louisiana & have seen trailers SIT on land for months without ANYONE living in them. Face it people, our govenment did not take action quick enough after a horrible natural disaster destoyed lives. Unless you live anywhere along the affected disaster area of Katrina, you have no IDEA how long people have suffered or what they have endured. To all the individuals that have the opinion that ANYONE wants to live in a FEMA trailer instead of work, please come to Louisiana & see for yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!
People here are trying to rebuild & move on. I guess there are too many people ready to pass judgement on something they know nothing about..........

TRY LIVING IN THE DEEP SOUTH WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN FOR VENTILATION!!! YOU WILL BE HOSPITALIZIED FOR HEAT EXPOSURE!!!!

If the gripers would just open the windows as much as they do when they are smoking,and just enough for air circulation they could have them open year round and not be subjected to severe heat or cold!!Keep the ceiling vent fans on and the vent lid cracked enough to keep out rain and elements the smell goes away.I have been working on and around these trailers for 40+ years,just had my physical 2 weeks ago,am in perfect health,because I use common sense when an acrid odor is present in a trailer.Also opening the roof vents,tie a 3 dollar plastic drop cloth over the roof for a few days until the smell is gone

Trust me, quite a few of the people living in these trailers don't want to be. They are still rebuilding thier homes, attempting to get supplies wherever they can find them, and are doing the manual labor themselves, since it is so hard to find a contractor that can help.

It's not luxury...it's a roof over your head. And it is horrible that they could suffer yet another blow such as cancer.

It makes me sick that people still are jealous of the assistance that was provided to the victims of Katrina. Not everyone got Debit Cards, so drop the issue. Not everyone is sitting in their trailer waiting for an additional "handout. Quit generalizing and remember that we are all in need at some point. I hope that others aren't as nasty and condescending as some posters have been.

By the way, I have family still living in their trailer while they tear their house down and rebuild from scratch. They aren't waiting on handouts, and they are building it all on their own, pending the new government regulations on housing in their area. They don't want to live in the trailer, but they don't have the money to do anything else right now but be patient and rebuild their lives. And yes, they are working VERY hard to do so. Their insurance company is only paying a very small amount to them even though they had great coverage. The two-story house was flooded through the first floor and filled with mud and marsh. Apparently since the marsh didn't reach the ceiling of the first floor, there was a "no damage" verdict on the second floor. They barely have enough from their insurance company to demolish and start over. I could go on and on.....

I live in a FEMA trailer. I've never been a deadbeat and I have a good job here in New Orleans. I can't move away because I share custody of my 3 kids with my ex-husband and he won't let me move the kids out of state. I also have an 80% mortgage on my damaged home that I purchased a year before the storm and I did have flood insurance. Unfortunately, my home was damaged 50% and I can't get a building permit to fix it until I raise it to confirm to new flood elevation standards. Right now in NO, it costs about $100,000 to raise a slab home the 3 or 4 feet I would have to raise it. My mortgage company is holding on to the 50% recovery I got from my insurance company until I submit receipts that I paid contractors to fix my home (which is not happening until I can come up with the $100,000 to raise my house). If you're good at math you can also see that the 50% insurance recovery is not enough to pay off the 80% I owe on the home, so I still am making mortgage payments. I don't want to live in the FEMA trailer, but I can't afford my mortgage and rent a place here in NO and I can't leave. I'm not complaining and I'm not suing anyone over the smell of my trailer either. I just wish people would not be so quick to judge everyone forced to live in a trailer. I'm doing everything in my power to get out of it, but it takes so much time to accomplish anything here now. You have no idea unless you would be forced to live down here yourself. If you can't walk a mile in my shoes, then at least be Christian enough to keep your insulting comments to yourself.

For almost a month me and my two young kids have been suffering with burning eyes, headaches and sinus problems. I am really concerned about this problem now and wondering who I can speak to regarding this matter.

Go ahead, name the manufacturers under scrutiny. They skipped the curing process for materials and should be made to recall the trailers and refund us the $$$.

Don't let them get away with this!

Boy, I can't believe some of the comments I've read. For those of you who think everyone living in a trailer is a "slacker", you need to read the message from Rhonda in Mississippi. What are retired folks supposed to do, go get a job as a greeter at Wal Mart? Y'all need to cut these folks some slack. This kind of disaster could happen to anyone, even you with the "holier than thou" attitude. My guess is you'll be singing a different tune then.

Why doesn't the government pay the people of New Orleans for the cleanup work instead of all the illegal Mexicans? Makes no sense at all.

It's frustrating to me that people continue to blame the victims of Katrina. Only a handful of people took advantage of a terrible situation, and that same crowd continues to do so. The majority of people who suffered are hard-working, and the outpouring of support by so many people throughout the country should be applauded. I am originally from earthquake country, and I would hope that if that 'big one' ever hits in Seattle, people will band together and help each other out, instead of pointing fingers and name-calling. The Gulf Coast is still a disaster, and it will take a long time yet to get it back in shape. There is still no electricity in parts of New Orleans, and it only became available to the trailer in my neighborhood a few weeks ago. After waiting nearly a year I have finally been able to move back, but when I arrived I nearly had to be hospitalized because of the fumes--even with the doors and windows open. Without phone service or cable (and no dates when those services will arrive in my neighborhood) I'm doing everything I can to get and stay informed, and this is the first time I've heard that this problem is affecting more than just me. At the very least, FEMA should ensure that the contracting agencies who are completing the paperwork and getting residents into trailers are informing them of the potential for harm, how to avoid getting ill, and where to go for treatment if needed. I looked and there is no formaldehyde warning anywhere in the trailer nor in the paperwork I signed.

well i was affected by rita we evacuated to nowhere slept in a parking lot 11 of us and 3 dogs one 3 year old and my 73 year old mother upon returning home from the evacuation on october 6 when the water and lights were back on my mother was kill in a car accident but after katrina she said god did that to clean new orleans up from the gangs and drugs and trash katrina means cleansing maybe that is what he had in mind it wasn't the hurricane that killed it was the levee 80% of new orleans was louisiana's trash even now they have gangs i say starve them sob's out get the kids and the old out and let the rest die in there old filth.

As a follow-up to my previous post, I did an experiment today toward the goal of being able to provide a bit of scientific insight.

Mother's house, which is in East Texas, has a walk-in attic, and it also has a top-of-the line roof vent fan along with eave vents and windows at each end. I opened the windows about 16 inches early this morning (two sets of double windows for a total open area of approximately 15 square feet, not including the eave vents and the ridge vent) and changed the thermostat setting on the roof vent fan so that the fan ran continuously throughout the day. The roof also has a ridge vent system--so, there is plenty of ventilation, especially when the roof vent fan is running continuously. The roof vent fan is rated at 1,500 cubic feet per minute air flow.

It is 18:08 in the evening, now--and, the wall thermometer that I got at Wal-Mart is reading 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

To be precise, (a) it is six o'clock in the evening (Central Standard Time) here in the fabulous Gulf Coast region and (b) it is 105 degrees Fahrenheit in what I think maps very closely to the equivalent of a FEMA travel trailer with the door(s) and windows open to get the marvelous "improved ventilation" that the expert at the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), Kevin Broom, recommends all FEMA travel trailer dwellers should experience firsthand while enjoying the wonderful weather this summer in the beautiful Gulf Coast region.

Noting that the roof is covered with silver asphalt shingles, I think this is quite consistent with the entire travel trailer mileau--except that FEMA travel trailers probably do not have 1,500 cubic feet per minute exhaust fans.

With a bit of dot connecting and quick visits to your MSNBC.com homepage throughout the day to get the current temperature and humidity, I think that it should be quite obvious that if it is 105 degrees Fahrenheit at six o'clock in the evening in the "improved ventilation" area, then it probably was quite a bit hotter up there just a few hours ago.

No doubt, if one consumes a sufficient quantity of water, electrolytes, and generally is in excellent health, then one certainly can deal with 100+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, even when the humidity is high (which acts as a multiplier for the heat)--but, what about everyone else (including older and younger folks)?

How difficult could it be for anyone to get a fan, a few cases of Gatorade, several bags of ice, and spend all day and probably all night drinking liquids to avoid heatstroke--espeicially, when just about this time last year everything they had was destroyed virtually instantaneously by a catastrophic hurricane?

The fact of the matter is that it is not so easy, at all!

When one moves into the scientific arena, what one discovers is that "Gulf Coast region" maps to "subtropical", which maps to very hot and very humid at this time of year (even when it is a cool summer, which if you pay attention to the weather has not happened in the Gulf Coast for quite a while).

Having been in the Northeast for a while, I learned that folks in Boston call hot and humid weather "sticky", which is the way it gets there when the temperature is around 90 degrees Fahrenheit on humid days. Well, the "Gulf Coast region" on days like today is "sticky on steroids".

Not exactly the ideal time to turn-off the air-conditioner and open the windows on the FEMA travel trailer to get "improved ventilation".

Thanks!

JD

This is an open letter from a FEMA trailer resident. One day late August of last year many lives were changed. Let me tell you being from Waveland I know first hand. I have seen the best and worst of many people. The worst, having a government that we support, totally unprepared for what happened on it's own soil the people from other parts of America that that call themselves Americans that find only time and effort to point the finger and complain about the recovery. I have to ask, when the men, women and children from your own country were suffering and starving, did you even say a prayer for them? And the best of people that I saw, neighbor helping neighbor even if it was just a shoulder to cry on because for many that's all they had to offer each other but they did it. There are many FEMA trailers here and most are good. But there are many many that have been here for 8 months, yes with the "windows open" like mine and still continue to burn your eyes. In the last 8 months I have documented more illness then I have in the last 20 years of my life. Let me go on to say, my "windows" have never been closed, even in the rain. Yet still the eye burning continues and just recently my wife has developed lumps in her breast. My throat slams shut every time I enter what has been my home for the last 8 months. So yes there is a hugh problem with some of the trailers. I believe they had to produce mass quantities in a very short period of time and never considered the consequences. But through it all here in Waveland neighbor helping neighbor still continues. We made sure our children had Christmas even if they were living in a tent, FEMA had not delivered yet, and maybe they were waiting on Santa! Even the inspector that FEMA sent out would not come inside because she said her eyes burned too much and we could just tell her what she need to know, that was 3 months ago and she has never returned. So I ask, is she still using the same info for her inspection reports? None of us asked for what happened but are making the best of the situation here. People for the most part are working hard to rebuild and recover. I pray it never happens to YOU!

Amen!!! to Mike Scheid. I live in a FEMA travel trailer also. I lived in Pass Christian. I lost everthing i owned. I had Homeowner's Ins., Wind and Hail, AND Flood Insurance. Alot of us are living in these FEMA trailers 1. because like mr. scheid said, rent has drastically gone up because of these money hungry mongrals and 2. contractors...right now have two year waiting lists on building peoples homes. I just called my contractor two weeks ago and he told me it would be 5-6 months before he even started building my home and another 4-5 months before it was finished. Now mind you, i signed the contract April 13 and was expecting at least the slab to be poored...apparently not. I also work full time and go to school. So for those of you that say we are living off of the government, maybe you should think about what you would do if you were in our shoes.
My son is only 3 years old, but there are some residents here whose children are in middle and high school. Those parents know that it would tear those kids apart to have to move. They have already lost everything they have ever known...and you say move them away from their "home" and only friends also. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!. Do most of you guys (outside of the disaster area) realize the housing situation. FEMA has stopped their terminations due to the simple fact that there is truly NO PLACE TO GO. So, if any of the complainers on this website are willing to come build my house quicker than my contractor can and everybody else's house around here just so their "tax dollars" are "saved" then, PLEASE, come on down.

FEMA bent over backwards to help people. And travel trailers are not designed for long-term occupancy.

The residents of these trailers are not supposed to live there forever, they're supposed to find a real place to live, as soon as possible.

This is temporary housing. Perhaps they'd prefer a tent? It would have better ventilation.

yup, I've lived in a trailer and if you simply OPEN THE WINDOW, then the natural atmosphere of the outdoor air, does seem to neutralize these gases.

To Mike from Dallas -

While New Orleans was always primarily below sea level, the problem has gotten worse over the intervening years. Why? The Corps of Engineers, bowing to the pressures of Midwesterners, tried using concrete mats to keep the Mississippi River from wandering and wrecking property lines. Not only did that fail, but this resulted in a greatly diminished sediment supply for the area. Additionally, ground subsidence due to continued oil pumping in the Gulf of Mexico has also contributed.

It may be a stretch to think that New Orleans' suffering is at the hands of the country's needs for oil and Midwesterners' desire for stable property lines, but they are contributing factors. I only mention this because of some of the rather antagonistic comments coming from many in those parts of the country toward the rebuilding of the Coast and New Orleans.

Let me put things into perspective, since most of the posts so far seem to have lost it. More than 100,000 trailers have been brought in and set up on the Gulf Coast and 46 people have complained. That works out to 0.046%! When I mowved into my FEMA trailer in October, I read every piece of literature that came with it. Nowhere was there any documentation about formaldehyde warning or instructions to air out the trailer. I know over 50 people living in FEMA trailers and none of us have notied or complained about potential formaldehyde problems. MSNBC seems to do a great job in presenting the absloutely worst picture of those of us surviving this disaster in MISSISSIPPI, not New Orleans. This site is supposed to be dedicated to our plight in Mississippi, yet people posting here continued to confuse us with N.O.

I have worked full time since the storm, attended USM University at night to receive my Master degree, and am rebuilding my house in my "spare" time every evinging and on weekends. Material shortage is unbelievable! I could not get drywall until January, I pick up interior doors one or two at a time because they are sold out within hours or a day or two upon arrival. It seems all of us putting our homes toegether are on the same schedule; when you get to a phase in construction when you need something, that item is not available in the market. Believe me, everyone in these trailers would much rather be back in their homes. Over 300,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in Mississipppi. The current capacity to rebuild these homes is 10,000 a year. We cannot wait 30 years for a home to move into.

As to moving, being stupid for living here, being too stupid to buy insurance, etc., there has not been a hurricane surge of this magnitude since 1699 when Europeans first settled here. That is more than 300 years! There is no archaelogical evidence of this size surge for over 500 years; that makes this at least a 500-year event, some say a 1,500 year event. Does everyone criticizing us insure his/her property for a 1,500 year event? I bet the insurance companies would love that. I live on top of a hill that was not, and is not, in a flood zone, yet I still got 18" of water; just enough to ruin everything.

We will continue to rebuild our homes, our lives, and our communities. I personally am extremely thankful for the FEMA trailer in which my family lives. I am also extremely thankful for all of the private volunteers and donations that have poured in since the storm; these literally have saved our lives.

When is enough enough? How long are the American tax payers expected to support this hurricane relief effort? I am not a crule person and having grown up in a poor to modest home can honestly say that tragedy befalls a lot of people in thier lives but they seldom dwell on it as the end of thier lives. I would like to say that the Federal Government has tried but it is also up to the individuals to put forth an effort. I am sure that all the victims were proud once before Katrina th