Hurricane Katrina Refugees

[dasgal]

I was assigned to cover the Refugees of Hurricane Katrina coming into Reunion Arena in Downtown Dallas. I photographed only the first few hours when there were only a few hundred there. Now there are thousands.
These people drove in packed into cars with what few wet belongings they could carry. They wore the same mud soaked nighttime clothing they escaped in.
I know you have all heard of the looting, the shootings, the rapes, and the violence, but this is a small group of thugs considering the bigger picture. The people in the Superdome will die without relief and evacuation efforts.
The ones who have escaped are bone weary, wandering around asking about loved ones, and face at best an uncertain future. They have no jobs, no homes, and have lost loved ones.
Please give generously to the American Red Cross.
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/elsaspet/IMG_0069web.jpg

[concernedperson]

Thanks for reminding us about humanity.

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Thank you for posting those very expressive, and telling, photos.

Reunion Arena - at my work today, we were told all the Dallas shelters are now full, and our area would be getting overflow from Dallas shelters. Is that what you were hearing, that Reunion is already full? And how many were estimated to be there?

Thanks!

DD

[dasgal]

Thank you for posting those very expressive, and telling, photos.

Reunion Arena - at my work today, we were told all the Dallas shelters are now full, and our area would be getting overflow from Dallas shelters. Is that what you were hearing, that Reunion is already full? And how many were estimated to be there?

Thanks!

DD
I'm ashamed to say I don't know. I took these photos early yesterday morning. I just moved and my Field Transmission Program was not working correctly and I battled all day long just to get these up. A fellow photojournalist is covering the story today. I will ask him.
However, from what I saw, they were lined up waiting to get in. Packed into cars like sardines. Covered in mud. Clearly exhasted and worried about loved ones.
Yesterday morning when I was at Reunion, I had already gotten word that they were turning them away from the Astrodome. From what I understand there are 30,000 stranded in the Superdome alone, not counting all those who managed to flee before hand. Reunion was the only place left for them after the Astrodome, so I image there are many thousands of them there now. The Astrodome was closed by the Fire Marshall because of full capacity, so I'm quite sure it could happen here as well. I don't know where all these people are going to go now. It breaks my heart. There are so many of them, I swear, you wouldn't believe it until you saw your own eyes. I had seen the news, and hadn't expected to see what I saw.