6 Months After Katrina- 1926 people are still missing

[kpete]

Six months after Katrina swept away lives and livelihood (as well as the last shred of doubt that the Bush Administration cares about anything other than money and power) 1926 people are still missing. More than 120 are children. Although the numbers have gone steadily down - 10 more names came off the list Tuesday - as many as half or more of these missing people may never be found. I can imagine 1000 mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands and wives, looking up expectantly for the next five or 50 years, waiting, waiting, for that person who will never come. Without seeing the body, the glimmer of hope can't be extinguished, the wound remains raw.

I spoke Monday with Robert Johannessen, Communications Director for the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals, where the Find Family National Call Center is keeping the tally:

MB: How many of those still missing do you think will turn up?
RJ: That's impossible to say for certain. But if you're asking me how many of them are dead, I would have to say several hundred. Easily several hundred.
MB: So the official death toll <1,103 bodies found as of today> could possibly double before you're done?
RJ: Well, sir, yes, it could.
MB: Are you still finding bodies?
RJ: Yes. I expect when the lower Ninth Ward gets dug out completely, we may find quite a few there.
MB: And the rest?
RJ: Some were washed out to sea, some were buried where we are never going to find them.
MB: Several people have speculated that the government is covering up the real death toll, that many thousands of people actually died as a consequence of Katrina. You work for the government. Any idea where people would get such an idea?
RJ: Sir, I don't know. I believe we have the most accurate count of any large death toll ever. To tell the truth, I think rampant speculation by many people, and I have to say, speculation fueled by mayors and other government officials, probably helped spread those rumors. Our agency got charged with reporting accurate numbers. We never speculated. We counted. But, sir, you have to remember that we had ... have ... so much displacement of victims. Victims who survived but were displaced. Rumors can take root in that and grow.
MB: When will you make a final tally?
RJ: There are no plans to shut down the call center. I expect it could be another six or even 18 months before we identify all the bodies as well as find those who are displaced but missing.

http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6307
http://www.dhh.state.la.us/news.asp?Detail=803

[Crazy Dave]

1. It would be terrible and it's possible

That there are some who could have been injured and suffer brain damage or have amnesia from the personal trauma of the events that they don't know who and where they are and it would be too convenient for the feds and easier just to institutionalize these people as John or Jane Doe's and be done with them versus putting the efforts and finances into helping them.

It boggles me how it's so easy for shows like "America's Most Wanted" to put missing people and children's faces on TV nationwide and get results but our government would rather save that air-time and funds for campaign races instead.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Or even worse - when I read many articles this week (linked from a

DU thread) about camps and prisons that are being constructed on military/government land, I thought about some of these missing people. Wild speculation and faulty connection? Let's hope there's no connection.

It also makes me think how faulty the follow-through is from the early stories we heard. For example, there was a post-story about all kinds of policemen who were missing. I heard nothing more. Unfortunately,the story stuck in my memory. How much time do I spend trying to find out when there are so many WH atrocities to learn about each day in the time allowed?

[Poppyseedman]

2. I wonder how many people don't want to be found or

just figured they will start again somewhere else and don't even know they are "lost"

I also wonder if Mississippi has this same problem? Vast number of missing people. Anybody know?

[rodeodance]

4. yes, they could be starting a new life for whatever reason.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Uh - not a lot?

How about we be generous and guess that 10% of that 1926 are in the don't know they are 'lost' or don't want to be found category? That still leaves over 1500 people who have vanished and should be presumed dead, given the amount of time that has passed.

[BiggJawn]

10. I seriously doubt it's the WHOLE 1900.

Yeah, there could be people who decided this is a golden opportunity to become a "Blank", ala "Maxx Headroom", but the WHOLE 1900?

I seriously doubt it. And if they just bulldoze and cart-off houses in the 9th ward w/o poking through them, we may never know an exact count.

IMO, those 1900 are "missing, presumed dead".

[Poppyseedman]

12. but the WHOLE 1900?

How did you derive I said the whole 1900 had taken the "Maxx Headroom" route?

I was just wondering how many did. I'm sure some of the missing did in fact do just that, probably somewhere between 10 and 25% of the total. I assume many people are still buried under debris or simply washed out to sea.

One is still too many. I can hardly fathom having my child just disappear off the face of the earth.

[BiggJawn]

13. I didn't.

I'm not calling you out, I just said I doubt the WHOLE 1900 went the "Blank" route.
If there's anyone who could be guilty of thinking that, I'd have to say they're probably a FEMA flunky.

We'll never account for everyone, I'm afraid, and that's sad, really sad.

[Poppyseedman]

14. Your header threw me a curve ball

I guess I thought it was a head shot.

Cheers

[BiggJawn]

15. Nawwww....

Trust me, You'll **KNOW** if I ever throw a "head shot" at you!
:hi:

[peacetalksforall]

3. The number has been 5500 for weeks-months. Strange.

Can we know what it's like having to live your job, take care of kids or parents. plus find someone - all the while knowing and worrying about the ineptness and attitude of your federal government.

Thanks to all those who 'do'.

[Lin]

5. and it's not even a page-1 news story, "outrage" is longtime & coveniently

for the powers that be, RIP -- WTF!!?? how does this zombification HAPPEN??? WHEN did it happen? civil rights...hello hello anybody there???? <echo>

[Lin]

6. Ps, did just see good & frank rept on cnn-headline. faint hope still moves

[Crazy Dave]

8. Everyone is more worried about who's on "American Idol" and...

...missing blondes in Aruba.
Plus it's no longer a publicity stunt and/or political opportunity for the politicians and the blame and blood of the people is now equally on their hands on both sides.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Unfortunately They'll Be Finding Victims Centuries From Now

Considering the number of people affected by the main brunt of the storm and the subsequent flooding...and all the damage that ensued the final toll of such a storm can never be really determined. Sadly, some who are unaccounted for will remain that way.

I really haven't seen a breakdown of where the missing are. Are all these in NOLA or are there a number who were along the Gulf Coast who could have been swept away in the storm surge? The other factor is one I saw reported this morning...and that's the scope and scale of the damage remaining. The clean-up is going so slow that there are areas that still haven't been touched and won't be for months to come as the combination of manpower shortages and government screw-ups and red-tape make the full clean-up difficult. Some people haven't even touched their rubble yet...and others won't go into areas that were badly hit until the insuance, flood plain and property rights issues are resolved...and that could/will take years.

From a friend who has witnessed several hurricanes, he said he'd never seen as widespread and total of destruction than he did when he went from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis. He said everywhere you looked it was rubble...even areas miles inland where one would have thought you could have been safe.

Even if we had James Lee Witt running FEMA and the best evacuation plans were implemented, this storm would been a major killer. While the search for the missing must continue, the living need to be put whole first. Pressure must be put in getting this regime to approve plans for the flood plains, fund the building of a Cat 5 storm wall around NOLA and the restoration of the wetlands.