On September 9th, Bradley from Santa Cruz Indymedia and two other west coast IMCistas arrived in Houston, Texas to help provide independent media coverage from Houston and other communities. Their first stop was the Astrodome and surrounding buildings.

There are about 10,000 people now living in these buildings, which are now being called "Dome City." The scene in the Astrodome is almost unreal. There are thousands of people sleeping in close proximity. Many people are trying to get in contact with loved ones, but there does not seem to be a practical way to facilitate this. There seems to be very little organization, plenty of unanswered questions and almost no information about what the future holds for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Some clothing and food is being provided to people, however the food is very low in nutritional value and much of the clothing is inadequate. Many people here have health conditions which are not being cared to. For example, many folks are diabetic, yet most of the food being offered is full of sugar, such as donuts and twinkies.

One man said he was able to drive his family out of New Orleans before the Hurricane struck. He had been at Astrodome in Houston for about a week. He was happy that he was able to leave New Orleans with his family, but was now almost out of money and was unsure of what was going to happen next. He was waiting in line for a Red Cross Debit Credit worth $2,000. He waited in line yesterday for this debit card, but then FEMA and the Red Cross stopped handing out cards. Many people waited in line and had nothing to show for their time spent waiting. People do not know what the future may hold... that people do not know what tomorrow holds.... that people do not know what will happen today... the people have no idea what will happen with the line they are again waiting in.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Santa Cruz Resident Aids Katrina Survivors | Houston Indymedia | FEMA to halt debit cards | Long lines, confusion over cash aid | Plan to Move Astrodome Evacuees on Hold | Inside a FEMA Detainment Camp