We're seeing people from all walks of life -- those who didn't have resources before the storm and those who are affluent. For all of them, it's difficult to not have a car, to have no job available, to have no normalcy in their life.

I think everyone right now figures that these people are going to transition into long-term housing. I don't think anyone has an answer on how long that is going to take.

Schools eventually have to open back up for classes and civic centers have scheduled events. The good thing about creating a system that uses Alabama's two-year colleges is that we'll now have a set of facilities we know that will be consistently available.

They are not a substitute for knowing how to swim.

We have the capacity to open dozens and dozens of shelters in south Florida if the need arises.

My mother shut all her family out of her life over the years, though we made several futile attempts to stay connected. May God rest her soul.