ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. When the Central Oklahoma chapter of the American Red Cross called volunteer David Tedford Saturday to head a strike team to southern Louisiana , it took him all of 30 minutes to pack, hop in the car, and head south from Oklahoma city.

By the time he arrived at West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, just north of Baton Rouge , about 100 of hurricane Katrina 's refugees were...