BATON ROUGE – More than 84,000 Louisiana residents are currently taking refuge in shelters in nine states and the Department of Social Services has created a hotline where loved ones can call to locate family members who evacuated for Hurricane Gustav. The phone number is 1-800-957-1601 and it will be activated at noon central time.
Family members who call the hotline will be asked to provide the name of their loved one and operators will search the Department of Social Services database of evacuees as well as the Red Cross Safe and Well list. It is important to note that the Red Cross list will only include those shelter residents who allow their names to be released.
“Our top priority during this time is to ensure the safety of our residents who did as they were asked and sought shelter before Gustav made landfall,” said Department of Social Services Secretary Ann Silverberg Williamson. “I thank our partners at the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Red Cross for helping us to create this hotline to ease the mind of family members searching for their loved ones.
“ Callers who are trying to find love ones with critical medical needs will be directed to the Red Cross for assistance. The Department of Social Services will keep a record of every call that comes into the hotline and will work until all families are reunited. Residents who evacuated Hurricane Gustav are currently in shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Florida.
Source: “Press Release: Department of Social Services News Update: DSS Launches Operation Reconnect.“ State of Louisiana. 2 September 2008.
Tags: Alabama evacuee information, Hurricane Gustav, locating Louisiana evacuees, Louisiana evacuee information, Mississippi evacuee information, Texas evacuee information
