U.S. Delays Planned Airlift Of Evacuees to D.C. Armory

"The federal coordination of this disaster is certainly lacking," Catania said. But he added that the additional time would give city officials and nonprofit groups more time to prepare the D.C. Armory. An industrial-size air conditioner is scheduled to arrive today, Catania said.

Meanwhile, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who said she sought a reason for the airlift delay, said she was told that federal officials needed time to start a tracking system to determine the identity of each person taken to a temporary shelter.

She said she was appalled to learn that such a concern could have delayed evacuees' arrival here.

"These evacuees have been waiting to go someplace now for three or four days," Norton said. "If they are just setting up a tracking system four or five days after the disaster, they've added insult to outrage. The only question ought to be is, 'Do you want to go to x?' "

At the armory, where preparations continued throughout the day, volunteers arriving in the late afternoon learned from the American Red Cross, which will manage the shelter, that the evacuees would not arrive as planned.

Gwen Rogers, 36, of Alexandria was hoping to donate two boxes of her daughter Cheyanne's baby clothes and toys, and lend a helping hand.

"I'll be back," Rogers said after signing up on the volunteer sheet.

City officials announced yesterday that they would seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for providing aid. Williams planned to send a letter to the agency requesting reimbursement for costs that the city estimates could run as much as $6 million.

FEMA spokesman Mike Howard said yesterday that 14 states had been approved for federal disaster relief aid and that the agency was considering applications at 100 percent reimbursement.

Staff writer Ruben Castaneda contributed to this report.