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San Diego becomes home away from home
Welcome mat is out to
hurricane evacuees
By Elena Gaona and Philip J. LaVelle
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
September 7, 2005
An additional 600 evacuees from the Gulf Coast could be housed in emergency shelters in San Diego in the coming days, and many of them could become permanent residents, state and local officials say.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday that San Diego will take in 600 victims of Hurricane Katrina, the largest group of an expected initial wave of 1,000 storm victims to be relocated to California. He said the state will welcome more people, if needed.
Amid some uncertainty, local officials said they have not heard yet from federal disaster officials whether San Diego's housing assistance is needed. Red Cross and city officials said they will be ready if the families do land here, though, such as when a private businessman flew in 82 victims Sunday.
"There are no evacuees en route via the FEMA airlift to our knowledge," Gayle Falkenthal of the Red Cross said.
If hurricane victims are directed to San Diego by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they could head to a shelter at San Diego State University. SDSU has offered to convert Peterson Gymnasium into a shelter for up to 600 victims, said a spokesman, Jason R. Foster.
"SDSU has offered it as a shelter, but there is no word yet," Foster said. "We're on standby."
The Red Cross will give the university 24 hours to prepare the gym for the evacuees, Foster said, and it could remain open for up to two months.
Schwarzenegger said that in addition to the 600 bound for San Diego, 300 more displaced residents of Louisiana and Mississippi would go to San Francisco, 100 to San Jose.
'Places for them'
The governor said FEMA asked California over the weekend to take in 1,000 storm victims.
"We have told them this morning that we will do that," Schwarzenegger told reporters at Gompers Middle School in San Diego. "We will have places for them and we will make sure they get treated the right way and get started again in their lives."
Schwarzenegger said his staff spoke with several mayors over the weekend to ensure that space would be available. He also met with legislative leaders yesterday to discuss such issues as jobs and homes for the new residents.
He added that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles has indicated his city might find room for 2,000 storm victims.
George Biagi, press secretary to Deputy Mayor Toni Atkins, said the 600 storm victims who might come to San Diego are in addition to those flown here Sunday by businessman David Perez, chief operating officer of Surge Global Energy in San Diego.
Perez said he plans to bring even more.
The first group of evacuees is being housed in a hotel in downtown San Diego. Perez, who paid for the rooms, is being assisted by Red Cross volunteers.
Some evacuees – Laura Sykes of New Orleans, for example – were just passing through the city. After stopping in San Diego to rest – meals were provided by Perez – Sykes and her family yesterday were flown by Stephen Danz of the nonprofit Angel Flight group to a relative's home in Fresno.
As Katrina approached, Sykes, 50, and husband Samuel, 43, fled along with Sykes' mother, 86-year-old Melba Lange. Sykes' brother, James Allen Lange, 53, remained in his East New Orleans home and is missing.
The perfect refuge
Families who have trekked cross-country on their own have also made it to San Diego's Red Cross offices.
No disaster organization or government agency pointed evacuees to the Red Cross offices for help. They just came.
For many, San Diego is the perfect refuge.
Rebecca Hillend's daughter, Natasha Jones, lives in San Diego. Hillend, 52, fled New Orleans by car Sunday with relatives before Katrina landed. She ended up in Dallas, where a woman took her in and bought her a ticket to San Diego.
The San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter of the Red Cross can provide temporary housing for evacuees in hotel rooms for up to two weeks, said spokeswoman Falkenthal.
On their way
During that time, Red Cross caseworkers meet with people to determine their needs and find assistance, including Red Cross debit cards to purchase basic goods. The Red Cross can also coordinate government assistance and help from other public or private groups.
More evacuees might soon be on their way on planes chartered by Perez, including at least one 737 flying between San Diego and other U.S. cities and the Gulf Coast.
Speaking from Baton Rouge where he was handling medical supplies for evacuees, Perez said he has made at least 12 flights, taking supplies to the Gulf Coast and bringing people out. More than 100 people have been flown anywhere they want to go, including San Antonio and Houston.
Fourteen people landed in Burbank yesterday through a Perez-sponsored flight.
"If they have nowhere to go," Perez said, "I invite them to go to California."