MELISSA BLOCK, host:
To Miami now and its Little Haiti neighborhood where people struggle through their shock and grief for a second day. And as the extent of the devastation became clear, another emotion took hold: helplessness.
Rick Stone of member station WLRN reports.
RICK STONE: A communications blackout continued and many in this community of 110,000 Haitian-Americans, immigrants and refugees remain frantic about the fate of friends and relatives. This morning, shopkeeper Francesca Jean clutched a cell phone held together with duct tape. She had pressed redial too many times.
(Soundbite of vehicle)
Ms. FRANCESCA JEAN: Since yesterday I've been trying to get in contact with Haiti, and I'm trying to call my mom and my brother to see if they're okay, but I don't have no signal or nothing.
STONE: The lack of communication with Haiti has become a tremendous logistical issue. Donations are coming in: 50,000 portable housing units from one source, generators from another, supplies of bottled water from a third. But Frantzy DeRose, director of the local Haitian-American alliance, said the need cannot accurately be measured.
Mr. FRANTZY DEROSE (Director, Haitian-American Alliance): Right now we're just trying to get together different organizations, different people that's in the community so we can get together and we could try to develop a line of communication. We want to help them, but we have no contact there.
(Soundbite of crowd)
STONE: Hundreds gathered last night for a prayer service at Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church in Miami. It had been a very difficult day, and emotions restrained at the beginning of this Creole song of mourning gradually erupted. By the end of a hymn, people were wailing, some of them kneeling in tears with their hands in the air or even rolling on the floor.
Unidentified People: (Singing in foreign language)
STONE: Their pastor, Father Reginald Jean-Mary, reminded them that Haiti has historically suffered misfortune followed by worldwide apathy. But he said Haitians are the children of God as much as anyone and deserving of common fairness.
Father REGINALD JEAN-MARY (Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church, Miami): And therefore we deserve (unintelligible).
STONE: Haitians have been seeking TPS, Temporary Protected Status, for years. It's an immigration status that allows people to live temporarily in the U.S. when their own countries have become unsafe because of political upheaval or natural disaster. Many thought the catastrophe in Haiti would at least make TPS more likely. But local leaders like Marleine Bastien became infuriated today when the Obama administration stopped deportations of undocumented Haitians, but made no mention of TPS.
Ms. MARLEINE BASTIEN (Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition): Temporary Protected Status is given to nationals whose country has been a victim of both natural and political disasters. Haiti has been a victim of both.
STONE: The earthquake is just the latest disaster to befall the country. In 2008, four hurricanes struck Haiti. Community activist Lucie Tondreau says Haiti recovered from the storms, but just barely.
Ms. LUCIE TONDREAU (Community Activist): And we went there on a rescue mission in the country. It was amazing to see what the strength the people were gathering together to rebuild what they have lost. And we're just wondering right now how much strength is left on the spirit of the Haitians that are in Haiti right now because it's been just too much.
STONE: Members of the Little Haiti neighborhood did get some good news today when they learned Vice President Joe Biden will visit their area on Saturday.
For NPR News, I'm Rick Stone in Miami.
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SIEGEL: If you'd like to know how you can help with the relief effort in Haiti, we've put together a selective list of aid groups on our Web site. Just go to npr.org and click on the link in the middle of the page called How To Help.