Bellsouth has not heard from 49,000 customers since Katrina

If this is a dupe, I apologize. I didn't find it on Search.

I just saw this on a CNN runner.

Bellsouth has not heard from 49,000 customers since Katrina.


I tried to look this up and found this short story.

The Times-Picayune
METRO NEWS

Saturday, December 24, 2005
BellSouth seeking missing clients
Nearly four months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area, BellSouth Corp. still hasn't heard from 49,000 of its customers in Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, said Merlin Villar, the company's regional director.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf


Have these people been accounted for in some other way? Have they all relocated? Has this many homes been completely ruined in these areas? If so, Why have the Outside Workers not reported
the homes are gone? Is the phone company trying to collect past bills or is this number of people a more horrible suggestion?

Does anyone know what happened to all these people?



* My husband and I are former employees. The Telephone Company normally finds people to restore service, discontinue service or collect, regardless........

Alamom

Of course, Ma Bell just wants go get paid. So let her wait.

:grr:

A few thousand people not calling to inquire about service restoral would be expected.
Some areas have service and some do not as yet. 49,000 people not calling to request restoral or ask when they would have service is staggering.

My concern was regarding this number of people.......

I had not seen any other utility, company or government agency publish this number of people (apparently) missing, relocated, etc.

I had hoped someone from the area might have some local information about these 3 parishes and if people are being reported to be elsewhere, relocated or not found at all.

i recall strolling in el paso in the early 70's looking over at Juarez.....the contrast was vast. Poor Juarez, shanty towns and unpaved roads, a kaleidoscope of wretchedness, Bob Cratchit to the USA ebneezer scrooge. Nola was also Bob Cratchit, though she didn't realize it, appearances can be deceiving; NOLA though it was american, or thought being american meant something. It don't. Not in bu shamerica

and don't plan to come back as there is nothing to come back to, particularly in St. Bernard Parish.

Failing to contact a phone company isn't much of an indication of whether someone is 'missing' or not.

Who would be worrying about an unpaid phone bill when you lost your home?