Why isn the Red Cross in New Orleans?
A The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands evacuees from New Orleans with shelter, feeding and other immediate relief. The original plan was to evacuate the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, city government officials decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome, downtown. As the numbers increased, they increased their capacity, adding the convention center to the list of shelters of last resort. Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while the Red Cross is in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans without their permission. The state Homeland Security Department had requested-and continues to request-that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city. Thousands of individuals will continue to look to the Red Cross to
