Businesses Compete With Charities to Provide Hurricane Relief

Emergency-management officials are increasingly turning to private businesses instead of charities and government aid to provide help following hurricanes and other natural disasters, reports the Associated Press.

The emergency-management chief of a Mississippi county hit by Hurricane Katrina last year has lined up private companies to be ready with food, gas, sanitary sewer supplies, and water in case of another natural disaster.

The American Red Cross is also working on a logistics plan with Wal-Mart retail stores in case of emergencies and plans to hire churches and other groups to run shelters for the charity.