Gregoire says 2,000 refugees coming first to Fort Lewis (Seattle P-I)

[icymist]

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Gregoire says 2,000 refugees coming first to Fort Lewis

By CANDACE HECKMAN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

About 2,000 people soon to be evacuated from storm-ravaged Gulf Coast states might be housed at Fort Lewis and eventually in area cities including Seattle, Gov. Christine Gregoire announced Monday.

Gregoire, who declared a state of emergency in Washington to receive federal aid for the effort, said evacuees likely would be flown into McChord Air Force Base within the next few days, possibly as soon as Thursday, and then moved to Fort Lewis.

<snip>

Named Operation Evergreen, the proposal has not yet been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In Seattle, officials were taking inventory of both public and private housing, such as the old barracks at the former Sand Point Naval Station, which are not yet inhabitable, said Marianne Bichsel, a spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office. The city should be able to brief the governor on its ability to house hurricane evacuees in a couple of days, she said.

(More)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/239519_katrinarefugees06.html

[icymist]

1. 200 evacuees arrive Thursday at McChord base (Seattle Times)

200 evacuees arrive Thursday at McChord base

By Lisa Chiu

Seattle Times staff reporter

About 200 evacuees from hurricane-hit Louisiana are expected to arrive at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma on Thursday, Gov. Christine Gregoire announced yesterday.

The evacuees are the first of up to 2,000 that Washington state will be welcoming.

Gregoire said she expects President Bush to approve today her request for $5 million in federal emergency funds. She proclaimed a state of emergency yesterday to qualify for the federal money, which will reimburse the state for costs associated with aiding evacuees.

<snip>
"Some individuals have been loaded into airplanes and don't know where they will land," Gregoire said. "The climate here is not the same as Louisiana, and there will be clothing needs. We also have a different culture here, different food and lifestyles. There will be some adjustments for them."


(more)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002474637_evacuees06m.html


We should all keep track of where survivors of this disaster are being sent and what happens to them. It looks like FEMA is just wisking them away without even asking where they want to go nor telling them where they are going

edit to update

[progressivebydesign]

4. If you see refuge, are you not a refugee? I'm unclear on the semantics.

They were evacuated, but now they are seeking refuge (refuge is not a politically exclusive term). I'm not trying to be flippant in the least, but I can't understand why the term refugee is not appropriate. They were evacuated, now they seek refuge from the storm's aftermath.

[demo dutch]

2. Stop calling them refugees!!!!!

[icymist]

3. That's the newspaper headline. n/t