Church cleanup groups from across the South are being organized and dispatched under the direction of stake presidents and presiding Church authorities. Hundreds of members from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas will help this weekend in what will likely be the Church' s largest disaster volunteer effort ever in the United States. The volunteers will camp and work in a self-sufficient manner, as they will provide their own work supplies, tents, and food.
The Church has sheltered 4,000 people in 20 buildings. There are 130,000 refugees in Texas and Louisiana, and 12 other states have Red Cross shelters that are housing nearly 35,000 evacuees. At the same time, Church Humanitarian Services has filled the need for hygiene kits, blankets, and other materials for most of these shelters. As of Thursday, the Church had delivered 40 truckloads of emergency supplies and food to the Gulf States before and after Hurricane Katrina.
Earlier this week 1,000 evacuees arrived in Utah, receiving some aid from the Church and its members. As of Thursday, 250 of the evacuees had left Utah in order to reunite with family. Deseret Industries gave new and old suitcases to grateful refugees, who had been carrying their possessions in plastic bags.
Deadly water-borne disease has become a growing concern in the Gulf Coast as an outbreak related to cholera, had killed five people as of Thursday. Also as of Thursday, there were 294 Katrina-related confirmed fatalities. Though political officials estimate the count to be in the thousands, the original estimate of around 10,000 fatalities has been lowered after searches have turned up fewer bodies than previous estimates.
Meanwhile, rescuers have finished looking for voluntary evacuees. Rescue teams will soon commence a mandatory evacuation of those who have remained in New Orleans. Officials say the risks for fire and disease are too great for people to remain, even in undamaged housing.
