Local agencies plan to help shoulder Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts as officials articulated the importance of coordinated, effective plans Wednesday afternoon.
\There is a tremendous spirit in Madison to help, to reach out,"" Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said. ""The issue now is to make sure that we channel civic energy in the most productive way possible.""
On Tuesday, the county met with city, state and local community groups including the United Way, the American Red Cross, St. Vincent de Paul, and local hospitals and medical centers to determine what needs citizens might have when they arrive in Dane County.
""We are working in a coordinated, organized way to prepare to welcome any of those who were affected by the hurricane,"" Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said in a statement.
Falk said the county operates under a standard chain of command. According to a Wisconsin Emergency Management statement released Wednesday, the state was notified by Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact that until further information becomes available, all plans to transfer Hurricane Katrina evacuees from Texas to other states are ""on hold.""
Falk said that Dane County will be ready and on call as the situation evolves over the coming weeks and months.
""This is a national crisis and deserves a national response,"" Cieslewicz said. He added that it is still too early to determine to what degree city relief efforts will drain ordinary city resources.
Sandy Lampman, CEO of the American Red Cross-Badger Chapter, said the disaster area spans over 900 square miles and that relief efforts would be among the largest in recent history.
Maj. Paul Moore of the Salvation Army said that about 40 hurricane victims have already taken refuge in Dane County and more are expected.
""The trickle has begun,"" Moore said. ""We don't know when the mass exodus will come.""
On Monday, Governor Doyle notified FEMA that Wisconsin is willing and able to receive 1,150 evacuees from the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina, according to WEM.
Joint assistance from the state and local organizations will contribute to a massive national effort to support victims and a surge of donations.
By Tuesday evening, U.S. charities had raised more than $500 million in cash and pledges-more than twice the $239 million donated in the 10 days after Sept. 11, and more than three times the $163 million raised in the nine days after the tsunami that hit countries along the Indian Ocean last December, according to the Los Angeles Times.
