The Department of Homeland Security is registering evacuee households in shelters, churches and private homes near and far from the Gulf Coast. The president has signed an order providing immediate assistance to people from the disaster area. As of Sept. 15, 2005, more than 500,000 evacuee families have received emergency help to pay for food, clothing and other essentials. Many families were separated during the evacuation and should call 1-877-568-3317 for help to reunite and assistance with travel expenses. Quick, Efficient Delivery of Benefits And Services: The Department of Health and Human Services has sent in more than 1,500 health professionals along with more than 50 tons of medical supplies, including vaccines, antibiotics, and medicine for chronic conditions such as diabetes. The Social Security Administration is delivering checks. The Department of Labor is helping displaced persons apply for temporary jobs and unemployment benefits. The postal service is registering new addresses so that people can get their mail. $60 billion In Assistance: The funds, approved by Congress and signed by the president, will carry out the first stages of the relief effort and begin the rebuilding. Recovery Work Moving Forward: Electricity has been restored to most of Mississippi, trade is starting to return to the Port of New Orleans, and agricultural shipments are moving down the Mississippi River. Workers have already begun to repair damage to highways and bridges, and airports in New Orleans and Gulfport have already re-opened. All major gasoline pipelines are operating without the supply disruptions that many feared. The breaks in the levees have been closed, the pumps are running, and the water in New Orleans is now receding. Environmental officials are taking water samples and working to get drinking water and waste water treatment systems operating again. Professionals are carrying out the sad duties of gathering the dead, treating them with respect, and preparing them for burial.