Ball State University experts are available to provide information and background on a variety of issues. Story ideas include:

Katrina may leave some home owners broke, homeless: Estimates for damage caused by Hurricane Katrina run as high as $26 billion, making it the most expensive storm in American history. John Fitzgerald, an insurance professor in the Department of Finance and Insurance, says many home owners may be stuck with the tab due to their lack of flood insurance. While damage from the hurricane's high winds is covered under most insurance policies, flood damage is not. And, despite the expected price tag, the insurance industry learned its lessons from massive hurricanes in Florida and used the practice of reinsurance, or allowing other companies to purchase portions of a property insurance contract. No single company will take the brunt of the claims in New Orleans or along the Gulf coast, which contains costly commercial property, says Fitzgerald. He may be reached at   jffitzgerald@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5205.

Parents should help youngsters understand television images: Because the American news media is running around-the-clock coverage of the Katrina disaster, young children may be exposed to many disturbing and confusing images. Scott Hall, a family and consumer sciences professor, says that while children may not vocalize their fears, they are often impacted by such images. He advises parents to be sensitive and reassure children of their safety. As a precaution, it may also be appropriate to shield younger children from extreme images. For more tips on how to discuss television images with young children, contact Hall at sshall@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5943.

Looting common after major disasters: Television audiences may have been shocked to see people looting New Orleans retail outlets—stealing food, beverages and guns. Such behavior, however, is common when normal social structure breaks down, says Bryan Byers, a criminal justice professor. Byers believes that under normal circumstances people go about their lives and conform, accepting that the regular social structure is in place. The situation quickly deteriorates, however, when disaster hits and the daily social structure deteriorates. While some of the people looting are common criminals, the majority may be ordinary, everyday people who are in a panic because food and water are suddenly in short supply. For more information on why people loot, contact Byers at bbyers@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1530.

New Orleansis not the first major southern city to be evacuated: Although authorities have ordered the complete civilian evacuation of New Orleans, it isn't the first time residents have been removed from a major southern community. Nicole Etcheson, history professor, said in 1864 Union Gen. William Sherman ordered all civilians to leave Atlanta after the city was captured by Union forces. For those unable to get out on their own, the Union army transported them to Confederate lines. The move allowed Sherman to expound his ideas about the nature of war, claiming that "war is cruelty, and you cannot refine it." For more information, contact Etcheson at netcheson@bsu.edu or

(765) 285-8700.

Katrina provides timely lessons for emergency planning: Hurricane Katrina is a timely reminder of the importance of disaster planning in apartment management, says Sue Whitaker, who teaches residential property management (RPM) in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. One of her classes is using Katrina to learn how apartment managers can plan for—and respond to—disasters. Whitaker says RPM graduates often go on to develop disaster plans for the apartment communities they manage. Some alumni, now spread throughout the country, tell her that before they started work, their apartment communities did not have reaction plans for hurricanes, terrorism, tornadoes and other disasters. For more information, contact Whitaker at (765) 285-2297 or

swhitaker@bsu.edu.