United States of America
The large numbers of killed and injured as a result of the World Trade Center attacks of 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 highlighted the challenges of locating and identifying missing persons even in a society with extensive administrative and financial resources.
In the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the ICMP Chairman at that time, Jim Kimsey, and ICMP Commissioner, Her Majesty Queen Noor, met with the Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, to offer help. ICMP subsequently contributed to discussions at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner regarding specialized database software for DNA matching.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana, approximately 90 kilometers south of New Orleans. The storm caused severe damage across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, killing around 1,200 people.
Under an agreement with the State of Louisiana and the Department of Health and Hospitals, ICMP obtained DNA profiles from the bone samples of 250 victims, which were then sent to competent laboratories in the state for matching with family members’ DNA.
