Recovery Relocation Advice

From Katrina Help Info

HOW to ADD TEXT text to a page »

Main Page

News and images

Fundraising Events

[ edit (http://katrina.asiaquake.org/wiki/index.php?title=Template:MenuRight&action=edit) ]
Table of contents
1 Recovery

1.1 Overview

2 Unemployment Benefits
3 Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
4 Hurricane Assistance
5 Relocation
6 Communications

6.1 Finding Loved Ones And Letting Loved Ones Know Anout Yourself
6.2 Land Lines
6.3 Cell Phones

6.1 Change Of Address
6.2 Cancelling Service
6.3 Data Recovery

7 Transportation
8 Katrina Villages: Call to Land and RV Owners for Collaboration

Recovery

Overview

Unfortunately many Katrina evacuees are facing an indefinite separation from their homes and businesses. This page is an effort to provide a checklist of actions that can be taken to ease the transition to "life in exile."

Unemployment Benefits

Displaced persons can apply for unemployment benefits from the STATE IN WHICH THEY ARE, not just their home state. So if you had a job and evacuated, you can claim cash benefits from the nearest local unemployment office.

A reader reports from Texas: "To file a claim, call the Texas Workforce Commission at (800) 939-6631 from 8 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday." I called that number hoping to get a number for Louisiana residents. That referred me to a local dallas office at 214-252-1200. I was only on hold for about 12 minutes --- not bad at all, all things considered -- I spoke to a lady there who told me they ARE going ahead and taking applications for Louisana residents and submitting them for those people! She advises you SHOULD be able to call the equivilant state office in EACH state and they will be able to submit the DUA application for you! YAY!

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

  • The Department of Labor is working with state and local governments in disaster areas and relief sites to issue disaster unemployment assistancefor (http://www.doleta.gov/Katrina/LNKDetails.cfm?lnkid=4) self-employed and newly employed who may not be eligible for unemployment insurance. For more information, call 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365) or visit America's Service Locator. (http://www.servicelocator.org/hurricane_katrina_info.htm)

Learn about Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Alabama residents, call 1-866-234-5382 Louisiana residents, call 1-866-783-5567 Mississippi residents, call 1-866-783-5567 Texas residents, call 1-800-818-7811

Hurricane Assistance

[http://www.dol.gov/opa/hurricane-recovery.htm The Department of Labor has helpful information on their website.

Relocation

General
By state

Communications

Keeping in touch is especially vital at this time.

Finding Loved Ones And Letting Loved Ones Know Anout Yourself

You will need a computer to make use of GrassRoots Wiki (http://grassroots.wikicities.com/wiki/Category:Person) to provide information and gather information in this nascent database compiled by those who are directly affected.

Land Lines

Land lines are probably the most reliable means of communication as the cellular networks are both damaged and overburdened. Consider maintaining old land-line numbers as these might be the only ways many people have of getting in touch.

  • Since answering machines are likely inoperative, signed up for a telco-hosted answering/forwarding service if not already using one. Update the outgoing message to reflect new contact information. Be sure to check for new messages on a regular basis.
  • To save money, cancel any long-distance and premium service packages associated with the old land-line. A basic local account with voicemail and call forwarding will be sufficient.
  • Internet/DSL access associated with the old land-line can be terminated, but be sure to maintain any accounts associated with active email addresses. A simple dial-up account should be sufficient.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are the most flexible form of communication but can be expensive and are very susceptible to loss of service, network outages, hardware failure and depleted batteries.

  • It is reasonable to expect a drastic spike in cell phone usage. This would be a good time to review contract terms to make sure enough minutes are available without incurring increased charges.
  • When networks are overloaded, the use of text messaging may allow your information to be transmitted when a voice call cannot be completed.

Change Of Address

The Post Office has set up a Emergency Change Of Address (https://moversguide.usps.com/mgservice/ECOA) service for evacuees.

Contact any of the applicable entities and inform them of your updated address:

  • Your employer
  • Banks/credit unions/investment firms
  • Credit card vendors
  • Subscriptions
  • Utilities
    • Cable
    • Electric
    • Gas
    • Phone
    • Water

Cancelling Service

Some utility services may be candidates for outright cancellation. This is probably not necessary in the case of metered offerings such as gas, water and electric but it might not hurt to call and ask.

  • Cable
  • Phone service (see Communications, Land lines above)
  • Water delivery

Data Recovery

Here is an article about restoring data from flooded hard drives from WWL TV http://www.wwltv.com/gumbo/index.html

Transportation

To offer or get transport from Louisiana or Texas to housing in your city (http://www.katrinahousing.org/transportation/bus_driver). This is an aid effort being organized by volunteer citizens. (http://www.katrinahousing.org/transportation/bus_driver)

Katrina Villages: Call to Land and RV Owners for Collaboration

To KATRINA EVACUEES: the Katrina Villages are NOT ready for you just yet but we're working on it for you...

To THE REST OF US: Here's a plan to help... Katrina Villages Concept: Let’s build temporary RV villages on small parcels of unused land and help the communities set up interim self governments and services.

Government - Katrina Villages will need guidance and support from host localities to set up community councils to administer themselves. However, over the course of one or two months it is reasonable to expect that democratic decision making can be incubated.

Services – Imagine yourself suddenly transported to a strange location where you had food, shelter, clothing and basic medical care but nothing else. You would need activity for your body, engagement for your mind and succor for your spirit. These needs translate into employment, educational opportunity, art/games/spiritual practice.

Job Banks – Many villagers will arrive with no money and many localities will not have job vacancies for them. But every Katrina Village can have a job bank where each resident registers the skills they have to offer and the services they wish to buy. Each family is issued $500 or $1000 worth of job bank credit when they arrive and trade can begin immediately. The more exchanges that take place, the wealthier each community becomes.

Education Banks – Those who are not fully occupied in productive jobs can engage themselves in learning.

For example: Home Improvement Supply Stores can provide Carpentry and Construction Skill Classes. Adults and older children will be facing major reconstruction tasks when they return to their storm-ravaged homes. They can begin by learning by build porches and other facilities for their village. Each Village can have a distance learning school so everyone who can read can study online...I continued on the wiki web sit at this link: http://loopcntr.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/EMERGENCY+KATRINA+VILLAGES

Go there. Read and add your ideas. Once you’ve figured what you are going to do to help, go to the contributors page http://loopcntr.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/Contributor+Page and sign up. Think globally, act locally. Work fast. Keep your promises. Don't damage yourself in the process of helping others. Thanks,Liza Loop, Executive Director, LO*OP Center, Inc. (a California 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation)Tel: 650 964 5623, References available on request.

Retrieved from "http://katrina.asiaquake.org/wiki/index.php/Recovery_Relocation_Advice"
Help us stay online!