Is there a central database or something so families can find each other?

[cynatnite]

Given FEMA's lack of intelligence, it seems that common sense would say having a central database of suvivors that are at shelters scattered around the country would help reunite them.

Yeah, I know it's FEMA, but has this occured to any of them?

[crispini]

1. there are a lot, but one that is working hard to gather them

all into one is www.katrinasafe.com. they have 41,000 evacuees in their database right now and are continually trying to gather data from other websites and databases. article is here:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1855724,00.asp

[cynatnite]

2. That's good, but you'd think FEMA would be doing it...

but maybe they're working on horses instead. :eyes:

My point was that FEMA should have something rather than the many I've heard about. MSNBC has one, yahoo has one and others.

Why not FEMA since they are supposed to be in charge?

[crispini]

4. oh, yeah, you'd think they would, wouldn't you?

:eyes: I agree.

[preciousdove]

6. A lot of people are scared of FEMA right now...

There are a lot of people that went through shelters but never registered just called relatives or friends and got the heck out of there.

So yes FEMA should have done it but this FEMA people have reason not to trust.

[PowerToThePeople]

3. A DU db? Why, so Homeland security can round us all up?

[PowerToThePeople]

5. Oop, hehe. A N.O. db =) Prolly a realy good idea...

[kevsand]

7. The International Red Cross does this, too.

They have these lists for every disaster. The one for Katrina is here: http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina

Frankly, I'd rather that FEMA not attempt to duplicate this, as I believe that it is the sort of thing that is best left to the professionals, if you catch my drift...

[Don Claybrook]

8. FEMA is sending some folks to html school this very week

They're still scratching their heads about the back-end database, but by god, it will have a nice front-end, and that ought to count for something.

[applegrove]

9. yup - there are databases being made to join all the databases together.

Very sad. I entered a record the other night and sure enough if today I didn't see that people who had been left in that particular place had been left behind and drowned.

Very sad.