O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Brad Parr
Pearlington, located halfway between Biloxi and New Orleans, was hit directly by the eye of the hurricane. Every home and building in the small, unincorporated town was destroyed. With no government to advocate for its 1,600 citizens, it has been largely ignored during local, state, and federal recovery efforts. Today, many Pearlington residents and other Hurricane Katrina survivors still live in FEMA-supplied trailers that are about half the size of a standard mobile home. The quarters are so cramped -- a family of four shares a one-room trailer -- that sick family members continually re-infect one another. There is little space for personal belongings, and decorations are prohibited. This fall, the federal government will begin to disburse rebuilding grants in lump sums to homeowners. Without intervention, the conditions for unconscionable business practices will be ideal, especially in these forgotten villages like Pearlington.