Reply #110: Where Are The Missing People from Hurricane Ike?

[dogday]

Five days following a direct hit from Ike, search and rescue teams have evacuated many people and recovered five dead. Still, many are missing and even believed to have been washed away. And the common question remains: "Has anyone seen.....?"

Since a few days following Hurricane Ike's devastation to Galveston, TX, there has been some speculation about the rising death toll and those who are still missing. In a news report today, it was said that some may have simply washed away. With around 90,000 people who ignored the mandatory evacuation order in three affected counties in Texas and viewing the devastating effects this storm left behind, it leaves some wondering why the toll isn't higher.

excerpts from articles)

According to the AP report:


Nobody is suggesting that tens of thousands died, but determining what happened to those unaccounted for is a painstaking task that could leave survivors wondering for months or years to come.
Authorities concede that at least some of those who haven't turned up could have been washed out to sea, as at least one woman on the peninsula apparently was, and that other bodies might still be found.

With search and rescue efforts geared towards saving those who were still alive, the death toll could rise as the focus turns towards the missing. Strong reliance on Red Cross shelters and workers to connect the missing with queries about loved ones will likely begin as they have access to information regarding individuals who have evacuated or have been evacuated. It isn't unlikely that many individuals and families haven't been able to make contact with extended family members around the nation just due to the nature of having to file claims, move from shelters to hotels and just try to make some sense of the event. The Red Cross is setting up registries and running the welfare checks in conjunction with Texas Task Force 1, who has been going from door to door to see who does or doesn't answer.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/259987