Hurricane Katrina & Rita Initiatives
Sister Cities International initiatives:
At the moment Sister Cities International is developing a disaster reconstruction partnership program that will organize support among our vast network channeling funding and assistance into specifically designed reconstruction programs within the effected communities, so that our members in the region can rebuild their quality of life through the assistance of the sister cities family.
We are working with our members to pinpoint desired reconstruction projects in:
- Birmingham, Dothan, Fairhope, Mobile, Prichard, Tuscaloosa, & Tuskegee, AL
- Baker, Baton Rouge, Mandeville & New Orleans, LA
- Madison & Natchez, MS
Continue to visit this site for more information on the reconstruction programs as they are unveiled. Additionally, if you are interested in donating, assisting with projects or being kept up to date on project achievements please click on the "Help Your Sister!" button to the right and your information will be entered into our online database. The database organizes information and stores it for our staff to use to direct people to the appropriate avenues of support.
Other initiatives:
Situation Update:
Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane when it made landfall in the
Gulf Coast area in late August. Casualty estimates from the storm vary, but now extend into the thousands. Additionally, there are significant concerns with:
- long-term environmental damage
Internally displaced persons, both as part of organized evacuations or self-relocated, face a critical situation as the depth of the emergency becomes apparent. Over 200,000 people were displaced by the disaster. A large number were moved to Houston?s Astrodome, while others evacuated to surrounding communities. Extensive wind and water damage is currently being assessed throughout the gulf states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Reportedly, over two million people have lost power in the region. Likewise, water damage has forced thousands to evacuate and relocate. New Orleans, one of the most severely hit, experienced significant power outages, wind damage, and serious flooding (nearly 80 percent of the city was underwater at the height of the crises).
Furthermore, there is a serious concern over the lack of sanitation, clean water and food, including the potential threat of the outbreak of water borne diseases (the authorities have declared a state of emergency for the health situation).
