HELP PLEASE - A friend can't find her sister in Mississippi !!

[IndyOp]

What should she do?

A student in my college class told me soon after the floods that she had spoken to her sister (in Magnolia, MS) via cell phone a day or two after the hurricane. At that time her sister (and two small children) were safe, but short water and food and no one had come to help them. The baby was sick. She has NOT BEEN ABLE to reach her sister since then and weeks have gone by now.

She has searched lots of databases online and come up empty. I have checked the databases below and cannot find a listing with her sister's name. My student has a chronic illness and has been sick - as well as somewhat frozen with fear - and has not been able to accomplish a systematic search. When she went to the local Red Cross they told her to call the FEMA national office - and, of course, she got an answering machine that hung up on her (due to the overwhelming number of calls).

Where should she start? What bases does she need to cover?

KatrinaList - PeopleFinder
The American Red Cross "Katrina Safe" Database
The American Red Cross Family

[lcordero2]

1. did you file a police report?

the police might be able to locate her if she has a cellphone. Most cellphones have GPS builtin.

[IndyOp]

3. I don't know if she filed a police report, I will check with her.

Would GPS work, even if the cell towers are down or the phone is not working? (I don't have a cell, I am a Luddite).

[babylonsister]

2. I don't know if this will help,

don't know how close Jackson is to Magnolia, but she could put a search on here for her sister. If I find any other possible sources, I'll let you know.
Also, DirectTV 100 had been devoting Channel 100 to Hurricane Katrina, searches, etc., and may still be doing so.


http://jackson.craigslist.org/

[IndyOp]

5. I did not find them on the Jackson Craigslist, but I

did find a group that will help her search at that link. Please send any/all other tips you have. Thanks!

[babylonsister]

6. I imagine you've checked the

NOLA database, but if not, here's the link:


http://www.nola.com/missingpersons/

[IndyOp]

10. I had not yet checked, but I have now. No luck. Thanks, though. (nt)

[IndyOp]

4. Operation Katrina Connect

A grass-roots national network of caring volunteers has formed to help connect re-located Hurricane Katrina victims to their loved ones, by providing free phone calls and internet search advocacy.

Who: A national pro-bono volunteer coordinated network of concerned citizens who are offering to help find missing/displaced persons due to Hurricane Katrina. WE ARE CARING STRANGERS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE LOST.

What:
1. For those without phone service/internet service, as well as those who need support in locating

loved ones who are missing, we will:
-Make phone calls
-Post missing person information on the Internet to the Red Cross, Government Officials, etc.
-Research current lists of missing persons to locate persons in question
-Email messages

2. For those who have been relocated, we will: offer assistance by posting their location/informing loved ones of their whereabouts, and updating information as to any changes

-are you searcng for someone?
Sign up to this group for full access to the latest search resources/news
(enter in subject line: currently searching)

-do you need help in searching for someone?
Email us immediately to be assigned a Searcher
(enter in subject line: request for help)

What makes ock different? We assign a supportive primary volunteer caseworker as well as provide a search team for each request to personally navigate through the confusion searching
You are not alone!

website: www.operationconneckatrina.com

For more information, please contact:
Colleen Delaney (917-566-1745)
Web Site: www.operationconnectkatrina.com

[fed-up]

7. Time to have the media start covering missing persons

Ask your student if she wants to use the local and national media to help locate her sister/kids. With their pictures being flashed all over TV, someone is bound to have seen her and report it.

If anything it will force the media to start giving attention to the numbers of people that have still not conected with each other since the hurricanes, either due to lack of ability to communicate or death.

It will also help bring attention to the fact that there is a huge coverup going on with the number of dead. (I am not suggesting that your friend's sister is dead).

People do need the media's help to help bring closure after the catastophic hurricanes.

[mcscajun]

8. Links for searching.

http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/main.html
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/280
http://www.nowpublic.com/taxonomy/term/2939
http://www.tsasw.org/qso/healthandwelfare.asp
http://www.wdsu.com/news/4919183/detail.html
http://www.wwltv.com/forums /
http://picayunekatrina.blogspot.com /
http://neworleans.craigslist.org/laf /


Locate the Missing
• Hurricane Katrina Official Government Website http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicSafety/Hurricane_Katrina_Recovery.shtml
• National Next of Kin Registry -- [phone]: http://www.nokr.org
• Homeport: Hurricane Katrina Disaster Recovery Assistance: http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/home.do
• Hurricane Katrina Connection message board: http://survivedkatrina.proboards54.com/index.cgi
• Alabama Hospital Association: http://www.alaha.org/hurricane.html
• ICRC’s Family News Network: http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/katrina/help.center/#ltm

[applegrove]

9. PM me if you want me to help look on the databases.

[IndyOp]

11. FEMA Centers in Mississippi --

Magnolia is close to McComb, in Pike County, and also somewhat near to Pascagoula (sp?)

<http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=19209>

[IndyOp]

12. Stories of Katrina Survivors in McComb, MS

<http://danger.mongabay.com/hurricane/MISSISSIPPI/McComb.html>