Debit card confusion sparks lockdown at Astrodome area
HOUSTON (CNN) -- Long lines and confusion over the distribution of two separate debit cards to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina sparked a lockdown Thursday at Reliant Park, where more than 8,000 evacuees from hurricane-affected regions are living temporarily.
People began lining up at 5 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) around the Astrodome, where computer-printed signs indicated they could receive Red Cross debit cards. Many had heard that FEMA was also passing out debit cards worth $2,000 for those who qualified.
As word spread, others began flooding the complex, prompting police to shut the gates to the parking lot and refuse entry to everyone but emergency medical personnel.
The Red Cross debit card -- worth between $350 and $2,000 -- is available to those who qualify, but the requirements for qualification were not clear. Those cards will be activated about 12 hours after they're approved.
The FEMA debit card will not be available for a few more days, according to FEMA representative Ed Conley. He said the agency hopes to avoid confusion and long lines before they are ready to hand them out, and said people can register for the cards online. (Posted: 1:33 p.m.)