Katrina Survey Reveals Inadequate Immediate Relief Provided To The Vulnerable

This survey of Hurricane Katrina victims revealed that adequate relief was unavailable to victims, and 44% of victims did not evacuate due to companion animals.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, sixty percent of respondents did not receive outside assistance in the first 48 hours and 26% of those who did not evacuate had to wait at least one week.

The reasons just over four-in-ten (42%) residents stayed behind were more complex than what has been reported. About three-in-ten (28%) of those remaining behind did so because of a lack of resources, including:

• • Having nowhere else to go (71%)
  • Not having a car (37%)
  • Not being able to leave their homes without assistance (36%)

Nearly one-third (32%) of non-evacuees made the affirmative choice to stay behind for other reasons including:

• • Not wanting to leave their homes (82%), companion animals (44%) or relatives (18%)

About one-in-ten (13%) of those affected by Katrina reported receiving assistance locating loved ones in the first month after the hurricane. Likewise, only 6% received counseling help and 2% received job placement help.

Of those who received relief in the form of food and water (67%), the majority reported this relief was on time (81%), adequate (88%) and delivered in a caring manner (91%).

Four-in-ten of those affected by Katrina (44%) named the American Red Cross as the one agency providing the best overall relief, while 14% stated they needed the most improvement.