Katrina Victims Being Forced Out Of FEMA Homes

Thousands of cottages housing hurricane victims on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be vacated next month, even though many of their occupants aren't ready to move and may have no place to go if forced out.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency distributed the one-, two- and three-bedroom structures to temporarily house displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There are still 2,300 occupied cottages in Mississippi, said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Many of the cottages sit on residents' lots while they rebuild wrecked homes, he said.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[CologneCitizen]

I don't get it. When there is news in Europe about a flood in Bangladesh or a nature disaster in Africa or Asia, we more or less take notice, donate money and goods and go on with our daily business. How come a developed country like America is still dealing with the aftermath of Katrina ? Is it incompetence, corruption or what ? I remember when Germany offered generous help in terms of money, food, clothing and technical gear, we were turned down by your administration. Obviously it wasn't good enough. I feel very sorry for all the people still suffering from Katrina. And this is happening in one of the richest countries on the planet.

[wdw505]

it is 3 years later i am past it.......natural disasters happen all the time......­.....gover­nment is not the answer to everybody's worries

[showme54]

wdw505...good to know you are comfortably past it....also, it was not only the largest natural disaster to hit US but it was a man-made disaster when the federally built levee system failed due to being improperly built and improperly maintained by the ACOE.

[maxfax]

"How come a developed country like America is still dealing with the aftermath of Katrina ? Is it incompetence, corruption or what ?"

Corporate greed and a party that didn't give a hoot.

[wdw505]

how about move on.........it is 3 years later.....­.......han­douts should stop

[showme54]

wdw505 in reading your comments evidently you do not know much of the details surrounding the disasters caused by Katrina and the levee failure in NOla. Try to imagine that you, your family & all your friends lost your homes-some from major damages others from total destruction by a traumatic disaster let's just say a you live in a major city of 450,000 and a tornado destroys it and ravages the surrounding countryside--during the storm the river swells and a faulty-built fed dam bursts flooding 80% of the city for a month. Most, if not all, lose your jobs temporarilly for a few months or permanently because of the event. Take into consideration that this event affected hundreds of thousands of people, businesses, public & private and all aspects of society and not only for 1 day but anywhere from a few months to several years for not only your community but for those hundreds of miles surrounding your community, including schools, hospitals, drug stores, banks...etc. You have insurance but your homeowners won't pay for flood and your flood insurance won't pay for wind damage...neither wants to pay...this goes on for anywhere from months to years. Temporary rental housing is non existant or totally unrealistically priced due to so many people out of their homes and outsiders who have moved in. Relief assistance is slow due to ever changing red tape, regulations, requirements hoops to jump thru and forms to fill out.

[showme54]

wdw505 to continue..to repair your home, you have to file for the proper licenses/permits and apply for all new regulations they have instituted--which change quite often. You (along w/ 100,000's others) need carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers who are legitimate sorting through all the con artists that have flooded the area. Building and repair materials are expensive and hard to find due to the demand. If your vehicle was damaged you have that insurance to deal with. Many of the people lost necessary paperwork, drivers' license, SS card, insurance paperwork in the disaster and had to go through the procedures of replacing those. For some, it becomes a catch 22 situation--you can hardly afford to stay but can't afford to leave--for others, the financial/­mental/emo­tional and physical stress has taken its toll. Despite what 'you' think, these disasters affected rich and poor, young and old, all races, all religions, from all walks of life--most, owned their homes, most had insurance--most were not on govt assistance and most have not gotten anywhere near as much money as 'you' think they have.

[wdw505]

it does not take 3 years.....­.........p­ast 3 months have they received a dollar of tax ........too much then

[wdw505]

i would not live below sea level.......nor below a dam........i have common sense............

[showme54]

Few of the areas damaged by Katrina and the levee failures are below sea level.

[stayinsouth1981]

That was well put, concise and succinct. Thank you. People just don't get that very few people in the US are equiped to survive and recover what this area suffered. They just dont' get it.

[harriettubman]

This has been the biggest nightmare for the country in this century and proved the incapability of the local, state and federal governments to assemble and help its citizens over 5 people!!!!

Hopefully, Obama can do something about this boondoggle and get New Orleans and its wards up and running again. Mayor Nagin needs to go. What is Jindal doing?

How can anyone get back on their feet after losing everything? Their identity on paper, important papers---deeds, etc.

I've talked to some professonal people who survived that Hurricane and I was told that insurance companies didn't reimburse as they should have. Remember the play between water damage and a hurricane? Last time I was in a hurricane water came with it. Some didn't get any reimbursement at all.

[wdw505]

"How can anyone get back on their feet after losing everything?" people do it all the time............yet you want a government handout

[showme54]

Yes people do 'get back on their feet' with help, usually from friends, relatives, churches & community but when the entire community is affected for 100,000's of thousands of people...it takes a lot longer. People in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Florida pay taxes too...for just such events--so they are not handouts.

[bliss0027]

wdw505,

I'm curious, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but what do you do for a living????

[Mr-Mikey]

He gets paid to be a tro ll, an insensitive tro ll.

His constant retorts, his confusing story of Living in florida almost two years, and then the plant in cincinatti, OH.

Trying to pass off what he assumes his factory conditions to try and ground his post in reality .. That was a joke.

He's just trying to fake a logical viewpoint to cover up his heartless state of mind. It is clear that he has no compassion, and empathy for the common man.

[bliss0027]

i have a feeling that based on the "depth' of wdw505's comments, that he/she is in fact a 16 year old teenager.

[tyger]

In the future homes should be movable. If the current weather trends continue practically everyone will eventually be in danger of losing their home. I live in Maryland and the winds get stronger every year. I have never seen such threatening weather. I think it also has to do with the type of homes we build. In my day everyone had brick homes. Perhaps we need to go back to the old brick homes.

[harriettubman]

No one wants to hear the truth. The Corp has already said they can't guarantee a levee for another Cat. 5. Those are words that should be heeded. Is anyone listening? To rebuild back in the NO's levee bowl should require homes built on stilts this time. Any gulf or shore on the East Coast is prone to hurricanes.

[showme54]

harriet, first Katrina was not a Cat 5 when it landed...it was reportedly a Cat 3 when the eye came ashore in Buras, La east of New Orleans, a few hours before hitting Mississippi. The winds were reportedly a Cat 2 around New Orleans. The levees failed due to being built wrong in the first place and improper maintanence according to the Army Corps of Engineers own reports and they were the ones that built and were suppose to maintain them.

[Freesia2]

More sadness from Katrina. I wish they'd leave those people be. They've suffered enough.

[Dupree]

One thing we should never forget is that if we fail to show compassion to others, compassion will not be found in out time of need...and being a part of planet earth...I do not care how much one thinks he has today...tomorrow it can be all gone in a wink of an eye. Nothing is promised. I constantly reminds myself of this profound truth and am careful to keep the ambers of my heart warm because if I invest in mercy....mercy will be found by me at a future date when I am in need. My heart goes out to these people.

[courageunderfire]

Excellent post! Well said! Happy New Year Dupree!

[maxfax]

Absolutely Dupree, from fires in California, to ice storms in Michigan, in an instant!

[LiberalBuzz]

WOW, the Bush administration can't wait to give millionaires BILLIONS to keep them in their 30,000 sq ft mansions but poor people living in trailers?

HIT THE ROAD JACK!

Gotta be the most heartless administration in history.

One can only hope Obama can stop this but why do I get the feeling he won't because of some political expediency that will be more important?

[Tiggy]

It is shameful that our fellow Americans' are even living in these temp. cottages while our government is granting themselves yet another pay increase and still sending money to foreign countries. This is shameful and an international embarrassment. How can we lead when we can't even take care of our own. FEMA says the houses can't sustain the wind factor. Remind me again how long the houses have been there? And in the same article FEMA offers to sell the cottages to the people currently living in them! Perhaps those congressional reps receiving the pay increase will donate the increase to the people who really need it. More and more we seem to reward those who perform poorly and penalize those who honestly try. And to think, our reps have the audacity to criticize business for the mess our economy is in.

[naeldwyck]

I don't know what you're talking about: the amount of money the US government "sends to foreign countries" is nothing compared to what it lavishes on its own financial institutions and war industry.

[ranchero42]

Hello out there! Is everybody paying attention? You know how the class war is supposed to be a one-way street, how all those deadbeat po' folks bash the monied class? Here's the proof it's all BULLSH!T! Good luck rebuilding on the Gulf coast if the only insurance policy is FEMA. That's no insurance policy at all if you're trying to get financing. These local governments are clearly in the pockets of the one percenters-anybody with the cash in their pocket to build, or cash enough or enough juice enough to make theses problems go away. Oh, and just like last time, FEMA's their personal cash cow after the next big one hits. How do WE get lobbyists to help US?

[SilviaMaria]

This is sad, really sad. These people lost everything during Katrina, the only thing they have now is this removable house .... Do they really need to kick them out?
Is there any justice in this world? Obviously no. Someone should stop this from happening. Where can we send letters or emails or call?

[eus]

Now thats a cute pad! I dont know how they are made, but it would be cool if they had pontoons and detachable utility lines.

[66rock]

The Bush regime was shameful for sure.

But reading some of the posts about the insurance companies and landlords who own the property, is a little confusing

. Excuse my ignorance but my question is: I own a duplex, it houses two families. If there is a fire and my property is destroyed, what is my obligation to my tenants and for how long? The insurance has been paid for by me to rebuild or clear the lot. Is this partly the same situation or not?
I sincerely don't know.

[Icantbelieveher]

I think it depends on the cause of the fire! If the tenants caused it, they would have to rely on their renter's insurance to pay for their belongings.

We once had a family that lived in the apartment above us flood our apartment. The apartment managers paid for our moving expenses and anything that was ruined by the flood. Then they turned around and sued the family that lived upstairs and they had to reimburse their insurance company.

I would definitely talk to your insurance agent!

[wdw505]

the landlord covered your losses because he was being nice.......he has no obligations to you

[wdw505]

you have no obligation to your tenants at all.......... rebuild or not........the tenant is made whole by their renter's insurance or not

[stayinsouth1981]

Renter's insurance doesn't cover flood, water, wind driven water.. mold mildew.. etc. Sorry sucker you are on you own.

[harriettubman]

In NO & MS the insurance companies refused to pay out premiums to thousands. If it happened to you there would be no money to rebuild. Tenants should have renter's insurance.

You need to talk to your insurance agent about coverage and what you're responsible for. Many Katrina victims had property insurance but the companies played games with wind, water and the hurricane. Since when has a hurricane never come with water? They said the water caused the damage and not the hurricane and refused to pay! Even Hurricane Andrew came with water.

[logic63]

wdw505 you are a real antagonizer aren't you? So tell us how you have managed to be a perfect person in an imperfect world. What income level are you? How many tax shelters do you have? College education? Ever have to help you parents with money? Ever have to leave an abusive situation with the clothes on your back? Have you ever had a tragic event in your life or do you just live above the rest of the world and sit in judgement? It sounds like Rush L is your hero but as we all know, every dog has its day and yours may be a really tough one because you haven't shown any compassion for anyone else and have never had money issues so you will live out you problems feeling sorry for yourself but never "get it" . Maybe you'll find the kindness of strangers is a wonderful thing in your time of need.

[wdw505]

"every dog has its day" oh well.......you just keep believing that one if it makes you feel better........if i go down so do all my EMPs...........

[GeorgeKaplan]

I have said it before and I'll say it again - What a GUY!

He's taking everyone down with him... can you imagine what his "EMPS" think of him? His is one plantation I never want to work on.

[Mnemanth]

Are these "cottages" needed elsewhere or something? Is there some reason this has to happen in the middle of winter (yes, even down south it's none to comfy to be outside all night)?
Does our government understand that they are there to serve us?
While I'm not in this situation, I know what my answer would be to anyone coming to evict me.

[SD Indy]

If you followed the link and read the entire article, I think your answer is in the second half of the following quote, "We just can't allow these cottages to stay in place where they're unsafe or degrading the property values of homes around them," Womack said.

Take out "unsafe OR" and look at what is left, "We just can't allow these cottages to stay in place where they're degrading the property values of homes around them,"

[RTIII]

Its the "or degrading property values of homes around them" that is so repulsive.

My sister lost her house in Katrina. They won't give her permits to rebuild because - ... No because. They just gave permits to all her neighbors, and not her and there's no "reason." Except, of course, that she's very poor, was injured on the job and is now disabled. And, she's got prime real-estate, about a quarter mile from the beach.

Disgusting.
.

[wdw505]

well said

[harriettubman]

Hardly anyone has moved back so I can't understand the "property value" part of it. The electric company is charging some communities several hundred $ for electricity because there aren't enough people to make up the difference. What a gyp?!!!

This should be on the new administration's agenda, besides all the other problems he faces.