Dobbins Air Reserve Base Expects More Hurricane Evacuees

Nine Flights to Land Today; Georgia Expecting 5,000 Evacuees via Aircraft

MARIETTA, GA- Today Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta is expecting nine airplanes delivering hundreds more Hurricane Katrina evacuees to Georgia. Officials on the ground at Dobbins expect three C-130s transporting evacuees with medical needs, and six Delta aircraft transporting ambulatory individuals. Staff members of the American Red Cross, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and Department of Human Resources (DHR) are waiting at Dobbins, prepared to meet the evacuees with food, water, and transportation to medical facilities or shelters.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates up to 5,000 evacuees will eventually arrive at Dobbins via aircraft. This estimate does not include evacuees arriving by bus or individual vehicle transportation.

“Georgia’s response to Hurricane Katrina is one of the largest cooperative efforts of the state, local and nonprofit sectors we’ve seen in Georgia history,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “The state of Georgia is doing everything it can to ensure that evacuees who come here are met with welcoming open arms and offers of assistance.” On Saturday, September 3, Governor Perdue visited the Dobbins Air Reserve Base to see firsthand the evacuee triage operation in action.

Currently Georgia is housing 1,286 hurricane victims, and has a capacity for approximately 3,500 more beds. The status of shelter operations changes quickly. For the latest information on the location of shelters in Georgia, go to the GEMA web site at www.gema.state.ga.us, and click on the link for “Open Shelters in Georgia.”

It is impossible to estimate the number of hurricane evacuees who have come to Georgia on their own to stay with relatives or friends. Any individuals needing shelter should contact the American Red Cross at 1-866-438-4636 orwww.redcross.org. Any individuals who are in need of services such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or food stamp applications should contact local Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) office at 404-651-6316. Any evacuees in need of information on K-12 education should contact the Georgia Department of Education at www.gadoe.org. Any evacuees in need of information on enrollment in college classes can contact the Georgia Board of Regents at http://www.usg.edu/katrina. Evacuees who wish to register for assistance with FEMA can do so by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or registering online at www.fema.gov.