Hundreds of Storm Survivors Arrive in Capital

"We will treat them like we treat our sisters and brothers," said Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), with Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) by his side, at a news conference where government and religious leaders pledged help.

Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) said the state has identified temporary living facilities for at least 3,000 evacuees. He said that as many as 1,000 will be housed at Fort Pickett, an Army National Guard facility in central Virginia, and others in 4-H centers run by the state or in private homes identified by churches and synagogues.

During health screenings of the evacuees who arrived in the District, some were suffering from diarrhea and dehydration, but most were in good physical condition, said D.C. Department of Health Director Gregg A. Pane. Sixteen people were taken to a hospital for immediate treatment, he said.

Outside the Stadium-Armory Metro station, a group of people stood in front of the iron fence and waited as evacuees periodically came to talk with them.

"We slept on the roof for three days. We were lucky we had a two-story house," said Cleo Breland, 48, who used to help shampoo hair in New Orleans. "Man, I don't have no ID on me, no nothing."

A rescue boat left him on a highway, he slept on a funeral home floor and then was told to go to the New Orleans convention center.

Now, he said, everybody wanted to help, wanted to treat the evacuees "like movie stars."

"It was weird," he said.

John Vaughn, 42, a New Orleans restaurant worker who was rescued two days ago, flew to Washington with his sister and her three teenage sons. He said he has no money and needs to find work quickly.

Gary Graham, 49, a hospital pharmacist, said he stayed in New Orleans during the hurricane because he was classified as an essential worker. When his house became uninhabitable, he moved into his truck and ate canned food until he was rescued Thursday.

He ended up in the vast sea of humanity at the New Orleans airport and said he was unaware he was coming to Washington until he asked a flight attendant.

Many of the area residents outside the armory hoped to help.

Geraldine Pritchett, president of Labor of Love Homeless Institute in Fairfax County, was offering donations from Costco and Giant in Northern Virginia. "We've got diapers, baby food, children's books and toys," she said, "and we hope to help get people into homes."

Donna Coates, a D.C. resident, wanted to contribute clothing. Elsa Malloy, of Maryland, wanted to help organize apartments. And Meshelle Carter, of Northeast Washington, wanted all 295 evacuees to come to a welcome picnic" at her house Saturday.

Carter, a security officer, said she knew what it meant not to have. "My heart just went out" to the evacuees, she said.

Staff writers Hamil R. Harris, Lonnae O'Neal Parker, Mary Otto, Sudarsan Raghavan, Michael D. Shear, John Wagner, Eric M. Weiss and Yolanda Woodlee contributed to this report.