Hurricane Katrina Resources

-Finding Friends & Relatives

-Animal Rescue & Adoption

For medical volunteers working in the areas under declarations of emergency HHS has waivers in place to:

• Eliminate many conditions of participation and certification for Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP.
• Allow licensed physicians and other licensed health care providers from other states to receive federal reimbursment in the disaster zone.
• Allow Medicare enrollees to receive out-of-network services
• Waive HIPAA privacy regulation sanctions and penalties.

More information is available at the American Medical Association web site for medical responders including state licensing help.

Contacts and Information for temporary medical licensing in Texas.

CDC Recommendations for Immunizations are available online for working in the affected areas.

Alcoholics Anonymous

AA Groups are available to provide support to anyone who needs it.

Environmental Hazards

EPA is asking for reports of all spills of hazardous chemicals, including oil spills and other environmental hazards. Call 800-424-8802 or 202-267-2675.

Translation Language Help

• translatorscafe.com
• proz.com
• www.horizontranslating.com

Emergency Medication Refills

Emergency Medications Refills Texas and some other states will allow a pharmacist to refill prescriptions in an emergency even if the prescribing physician can't be reached. Schedule II controlled substances are generally excluded from this provision. See Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

Louisiana Board of Pharmacy announced Friday that evacuees can go to any Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen's or Kroger's pharmacy in Louisiana or around the country to have their prescriptions filled.

Crisis Hotline

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

United Healthcare Crisis Hotline at 1-866-615-8700. Callers can speak with counselors to help them handle the difficult emotions they may experience such as stress, anxiety and the grieving process.

National Mental Health Services Locator

Call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health at (601) 359-1288 for information regarding clients evacuated in Biloxi, Gautier, and Waveland.

Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Hotlines

Call RAINN - 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or the Domestic Violence National Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Dialysis Hotline

Call 225-387-1333 if you know of an Evacuee in Louisiana in need of dialysis.

Hospital Hotlines

• Patients moved to Alabama
• Patients relocated from Louisiana call 504-922-0012
• Children moved to Arkansas Children's call 501.364-1100
• Locate Patients or Staff at Tenet Healthcare
• Loisiana Nursing Home Association List of Evacuees.
• Jefferson Healthcare Evacuees Telephone Contacts  (SCROLL DOWN)
• Call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health at (601) 359-1288 for information regarding clients evacuated in Biloxi, Gautier, and Waveland.

Social Security Payments

Social Security beneficiaries who are victims of Hurricane Katrina can go to any office of the federal agency or any temporary location and receive an on-the-spot payment. See the Social Security Web Site for more information. Some Social Security offices will be open through the weekend. Call call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) for more information.

Services and Help

Legal

US Legal Forms has a page with information on replacing Social Security carts, Passports, Birth Certificates and other legal documents.

Order Birth Certificates Online through VitalChek.com

The American Bar Association is setting up hotlines to assist people with insurance claims, home repair contracts, wills and other documents, and related issues. See: abanet.org for more information.

Houston Volunteer Lawyer's Program will have volunteer lawyers available at shelters and the Astrodome to assist. See: hba.org for more information.

Dallas Legal Aid will be assisting people in that area. The Dallas Bar will waive it's initial consultation fee for referrals for legal advice.

The New York State Bar Association fund will help victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama pay for such services as filing insurance claims, getting death certificates completed and applying for federal aid.

Red Cross Financial Help Centers

Call 1-800-975-7585 for help with financial resources and referrals to other services. Callers will be given a client information number and instructions on how to take that number to a local financial institution to receive funds. When you call you will need to provide:

• Your name
• Your pre-storm address
• Your zip code
• Your home telephone number

Business Help

Business

Call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or email [email protected] for status updates on SBA disaster loan requests. Visit the SBA Website for more information.

Small Business Administration (SBA) has assistance for business owners affected by the hurricane. See sba.gov.

SEC is providing filing extensions and other relief to businesses affected by the Hurricane.

A new Free Online New Orleans Business Directory has been set up to allow businesses to list their contact information as well as information for businesses affected by the disaster.

Homeland Security Immigration Enforcement will not sanction employers for hiring victims of Hurricane Katrina who, at this time, are unable to provide I-9 documentation. DHS will not bring sanction actions against employers for hiring individuals evacuated or displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina otherwise eligible for employment but who currently lack personal documents.

Unemployment Benefits

Department of Labor Unemployment Hotline is 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365) or online at dol.gov.

FEMA Hotline Number for Unemployment Benefits is 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY: 1-800-462-7585 or call your local unemployment office.

For Louisiana, people can apply for unemployment insurance and disaster relief at any one-stop job center, online at laworks.net or by calling toll-free numbers 1-866-783-5567 or 1-800-818-7811.

The Texas Workforce Commission is assisting Louisiana workers who have lost their jobs due to Hurricane Katrina. They can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) by calling 1-800-818-7811 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Employers wishing to hire displaced Louisiana workers can call 1-800-695-6879 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Food Stamps

The Department of Agriculture will allow people who normally do not qualify for Food Stamps to receive food stamps if they fled storm-damaged areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Normally, the Agriculture Department requires food stamp recipients to requalify for the benefit if they move to another state.

Louisiana has a hotline where you can apply for Food Stamp assistance.

Workers Compensation

Louisiana injured workers who were getting workers' compensation before the hurricane should call 1-866-783-5567, 1-800-201-2494 or 1-800-201-3457 to update contact information.

Taxes and IRS

IRS Disaster Tax Relief information and disaster loss kits. Available online The IRS has extended deadlines until Oct. 31 to file tax returns and submit tax payments.

The extension includes the Sept. 15 deadline for estimated taxes for businesses and individuals affected by the Hurricane. NEW: The IRS has now extended deadlines for estimated taxes, payments, and returnes until the end of the year.

Community Voice Mail

Community Voice Mail will be providing free voice mail boxes to Hurricane Katrina victims displaced in: Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin, Memphis and Atlanta. Contact the Red Cross at 1-800-GET INFO for more information. Consider a donation if you are able to support this service.

Banking and Mortgages

If You Are Unable to Pay Your Mortgage call your mortgage lender and notify them as quickly as possible. Many banks and mortgage companies will accept arrangements to delay payments three months or more during a disaster. Visit the FDIC Web Site for more information about banking help or call 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342).

Low-income residents in the affected areas who have mortgages through USDA are being notified of a 90-day minimum moratorium on payments to reduce the financial hardship.

The FDIC has published a list of contacts for banks that were in the affected area. You can also call the FDIC hotline for banking questions at 1-877-ASK-FDIC.

The SEC has published a web site for those unable to contact their investment advisors. See www.sec.gov/katrina.htm

Reverse Voice Mail

Reverse Voice Mail
OmVox Telecom and Window Canvas, both of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, have created a new toll-free communications service, allowing family members displaced by Hurricane Katrina to communicate with one another via "reverse voice mail."

Storm victims can call 1-877-206-7500, enter a 10-digit telephone number such as their home, office, or cell number, and leave a 3-minute voicemail message, letting others know of their whereabouts and safety. Family members can call 1-877-206-7500, enter the 10-digit telephone number of their loved one and listen to any messages left by missing family members. If the line is busy, keep trying.

School Information

Resources Guide for Teachers and Parents after a disaster.

Assistance for School Supplies

Texas Hotline for Louisiana teachers seeking jobs is 1-800-435-7090.

Florida is waiving the cost of the teacher certification exam. Teachers who fulfilled similar certification requirements in other states are welcome to teach in Florida.

Arkansas Department of Education has streamlined its teacher application process for certified teachers from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama who have relocated to Arkansas. Call Ron Tolson at 501-682-4210 for information.

Update on Damaged Schools for Louisiana.

Alvarez & Marsal Hotline for New Orleans Teachers 877-771-5800
or see www.alvarezandmarsalnops.com and www.louisianaschools.net. Employees should call with their contact information as soon as possible.

Lafayette Parish in Lafayette, Louisiana. The schools are taking in students that are displaced from Katrina
They can contact they Lafayette Parish School Board at 337-236-6838

Texas Public Schools Open to Children from Hurricane Katrina. Texas schools will enroll children from the disaster area. Hotlines for schools in Texas.

Diocese of Baton Rouge is making room in its classes for students from the Diocese of New Orleans. They also are offering housing to displaced families. 225-387-0561

Colleges

• Board of Regents College Information Hotline: 1-866-415-2269.
• Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA): 800-253-5626 ext 1012.

Many colleges are accepting students displaced by the disaster zone including these:

• Google Search of Colleges Accepting Students