Evacuees forced to move off cruise ships; some sue

Jason · August 23, 2001

NEW ORLEANS - Facing a Wednesday deadline, the federal government is scrambling to find temporary housing for hundreds of hurricane evacuees, including many firefighters and police officers, who have been lodging on three cruise ships since Hurricane Katrina.

Two cruise ships have been docked in New Orleans and another one in the hard-hit area southeast of New Orleans called St. Bernard Parish. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say there are about 570 people on the ships in New Orleans and about 160 in St. Bernard. Some of the cruise ship residents in St. Bernard have filed a lawsuit to stop FEMA from kicking them off the ship.

Monday, a steady trickle of people hauled their possessions off the two Carnival Cruise Line ships in New Orleans to their vehicles. But the next stop for several workers was anything but clear.

"The only thing they said was try a shelter," Loran Ebarb, who works for the U.S. Postal Service's police squad, said of FEMA's suggestion for him and his wife and 17-year-old daughter. "There's this air of uncertainty."

Ebarb said a FEMA contractor planted a trailer on the site of his wrecked home but another set of workers sliced the water line to the trailer when they stuck a utility pole in the ground.

The repairs, he said, he could take a while and in the meantime he was far from certain where his family would stay.

Rosalind Blanco Cook, a spokeswoman for the Regional Transit Authority, complained that it has taken far too long for FEMA to set up a trailer site for about 120 bus drivers, streetcar operators and other transportation workers.

"They promised it would be ready in January, then February, and now it's mid to late March," she said. "Hopefully by March 1 they will put us in a hotel temporarily."

Cook, too, has been staying on one of the ships after her Gentilly home was flooded. She plans to rebuild her home, but she said that will not happen for quite a while.

The people leaving the cruise ships have been moved into apartments, trailers and hotel rooms or found accommodations on their own, said David Passey, a FEMA spokesman. FEMA said it would provide trailers for the first-responders or pay for units at an apartment complex for up to 18 months.

In the St. Bernard case, FEMA is working on a settlement with the plaintiffs. Any compromise would need to be approved by U.S. District Judge Peter Beer, who will hold a hearing on the matter Wednesday.

Source: CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press

JoeyandDavid · June 4, 2005

must be time for the dry dock

Joanandjoe · August 22, 2005

FEMA's motto must be "semper imparatis" (always unready) or "semper infidelis" (always unfaithful, in contrast to the Marine motto of semper fidelis, always faithful). It's no surprise that the six month contract with Carnival has run out, and there are only a few hundred people involved. FEMA should have found these workers alternative lodging by now.

Mebert · October 1, 2003

This news is unbelievable!

Who's minding the shop? Who's keeping track of these contracts and making plans for the future?

If these people sue the Federal Government, isn't it us who has to pay the bill. Why isn't FEMA prepared to address this?

I don't blame the cruise lines. They are not in the housing or charity business. They have thousands of people that they have made a commitment to and they have to fulfill those agreements. The cruise lines need time to prepare thier ships for those business agreements.

Six months should have been enough time to bring in some form of temporary housing for the workers.

DaCruzNut · September 7, 2002

Something's very wrong, here!!!!

People who carry insurance are precluded from FEMA assistance. Those of us who choose to protect ourselves, and pay outrageous premiums, are penalized. My policy, in Florida, has a $7,200.00 deductable, excludes repainting, etc; and costs about $2,400.00 a year. Hurricane Wilma will wind up costing me about $15,000+. Because I have insurance, FEMA has denied my claim.

But, people with no insurance are very well taken care of. FEMA gives them temporary housing and fixes their houses, with no deductable!! It's a government gift! Why not a loan? Why not put a lien on the house so the government gets it's money back when the house is sold? No, let's reward these irresponsible people who choose to do without insurance and, then, when something happens want all they can get and will sue for it, if necessary.

Yes, something's very wrong her..... :angry:

eagleforest · February 6, 2006

So Jeff If I buy a house say a low priced house and not carry insurance. I have a darn good chance that if and when my house gets trashed from a storm..FEMA will rebuild it. And everytime they rebuild it I will add a room.

Soon my house will be bigger than Jeb's house and the Govt. will have paid for it.

How sweet.

Find me a shack on a beachfront and I will buy it. After 4 0r 5 storms it wont be an outhouse anymore but a 4 room beachhouse.

But yet Jeff those of us that pay insurance. Will be paying for those that dont

GottaCruz · May 27, 2003

I couldn't have said it better, Mebert.

Peddler · November 9, 2005

Sometimes one has to work for ones self and not sit on their backside with a hand out and whine.

bakersuzie · November 9, 2004

I agree with Jeff. I live about 50 miles from the NC coast. We have had several bad hurricanes here and each time the millionaires who own beach front property build back bigger and better, thanks to FEMA assistance, at our expense. Then to add insult to injury, they whine about taxpayers not wanting to pay for renourishment projects, to build back the sand dunes to keep their houses standing. Now some of the beachfront residents are trying to get local laws passed so that they own the beach all the way to the water and us taxpayers can't use "THEIR" beach. How do you like that? I have always tried to be a compassionate person, but this is just a slap in the face.

Joanandjoe · August 22, 2005

We'll join the chorus in agreeing with Jeff. Something similar happened when our older son was seeking scholarship aid for college. We had saved for his education, so we were denied any scholarships even though Joe was unemployed<] when we filled out the financial forms. The non-savers got scholarships. Life is not always fair.