Joe
09-03-2005, 06:06 PM
Sometime in the coming week, planes will begin bringing victims of Hurricane Katrina to Minnesota, which is preparing to host as many as 5,000 evacuees for a year or longer.
The Camp Ripley military compound will serve as the primary receiving point because of its existing housing quarters and medical facilities. But Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who announced the relocation Saturday, hopes to move people into longer-term housing within 45 days of their arrival.
"We're scrambling here hard to get these plans in place,'' Pawlenty said.
Pawlenty's Department of Education is helping gather school supplies, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency is taking an inventory of available housing and the Department of Health is developing plans to screen and offer medical assistance to the victims.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked state officials to accept up to 5,000, although Pawlenty administration leaders say they are anticipating a smaller contingent, perhaps 3,000.
"They are us,'' Pawlenty said. "This is not just a natural disaster. This is a national tragedy and it deserves a national response and all of us should do our share.''
State leaders are reaching out to nonprofit groups and churches to round up winter boots and coats, toiletries, money for rent and other staples.
National Guard arrives
The governor also said he would sign an executive order waiving state residency requirements for welfare and medical programs.
Pawlenty offered no cost estimate for handling the evacuees, but said the state is "taking a leap of faith'' that the federal government will reimburse state and local governments.
Pawlenty asked three mayors — Roseau's Jeff Pelowski, Bloomington's Gene Winsted and St. Paul's Randy Kelly — to head up a task force that will identify communities able to host and assist the people displaced by the Gulf Coast storm.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said leaders need to be ready to offer sustained help.
"It is clear that everyone in Minneapolis and Minnesota today wants to do something, and that's a wonderful thing in a time of tragedy,'' he said. "But the real test of whether we're successful or not won't come tomorrow, it will be next week, next month, next year.''
Dan Lyon, his wife and two children have offered to open their four-bedroom Woodbury home to a family of four and their pet. So far, they've gotten no takers to the invitation posted on the Internet.
"This happened on our own soil. The people are so close. there's something you feel you can do. When it's halfway around the world, it's a little harder,'' Lyon said, adding, "We can't save the world but we can be the world to three or four people.''
The Lyons are coordinating their efforts with other Minnesota families offering space. A Web site — www.minnesotahelpers.com — is in the works.
Meanwhile, a State Emergency Operations Center hot line was activated Saturday to give Minnesotans a place to call for answers about Katrina and the disaster response.
The hot line will operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
People can call for advice about how to help hurricane victims, locate family and friends, and register for assistance if they're a hurricane victim.
The hot line numbers are (651) 297-1304 in the Twin Cities area and 1-800-657-3504 in the non-metro area. For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is 1-800-657-3822
Is anyone else's state doing similar things?
The Camp Ripley military compound will serve as the primary receiving point because of its existing housing quarters and medical facilities. But Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who announced the relocation Saturday, hopes to move people into longer-term housing within 45 days of their arrival.
"We're scrambling here hard to get these plans in place,'' Pawlenty said.
Pawlenty's Department of Education is helping gather school supplies, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency is taking an inventory of available housing and the Department of Health is developing plans to screen and offer medical assistance to the victims.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency asked state officials to accept up to 5,000, although Pawlenty administration leaders say they are anticipating a smaller contingent, perhaps 3,000.
"They are us,'' Pawlenty said. "This is not just a natural disaster. This is a national tragedy and it deserves a national response and all of us should do our share.''
State leaders are reaching out to nonprofit groups and churches to round up winter boots and coats, toiletries, money for rent and other staples.
National Guard arrives
The governor also said he would sign an executive order waiving state residency requirements for welfare and medical programs.
Pawlenty offered no cost estimate for handling the evacuees, but said the state is "taking a leap of faith'' that the federal government will reimburse state and local governments.
Pawlenty asked three mayors — Roseau's Jeff Pelowski, Bloomington's Gene Winsted and St. Paul's Randy Kelly — to head up a task force that will identify communities able to host and assist the people displaced by the Gulf Coast storm.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said leaders need to be ready to offer sustained help.
"It is clear that everyone in Minneapolis and Minnesota today wants to do something, and that's a wonderful thing in a time of tragedy,'' he said. "But the real test of whether we're successful or not won't come tomorrow, it will be next week, next month, next year.''
Dan Lyon, his wife and two children have offered to open their four-bedroom Woodbury home to a family of four and their pet. So far, they've gotten no takers to the invitation posted on the Internet.
"This happened on our own soil. The people are so close. there's something you feel you can do. When it's halfway around the world, it's a little harder,'' Lyon said, adding, "We can't save the world but we can be the world to three or four people.''
The Lyons are coordinating their efforts with other Minnesota families offering space. A Web site — www.minnesotahelpers.com — is in the works.
Meanwhile, a State Emergency Operations Center hot line was activated Saturday to give Minnesotans a place to call for answers about Katrina and the disaster response.
The hot line will operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
People can call for advice about how to help hurricane victims, locate family and friends, and register for assistance if they're a hurricane victim.
The hot line numbers are (651) 297-1304 in the Twin Cities area and 1-800-657-3504 in the non-metro area. For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is 1-800-657-3822
Is anyone else's state doing similar things?