NEW ORLEANS -- For relatives of Haitian natives, it's an agonizing time, as scenes of destruction left behind by the powerful earthquake continue unfolding.
Jacqueline Simon, a New Orleanian with family living in Haiti, said the void of information is the toughest part.
"It has been very, very hard because up until now, we have no communications with Port Au Prince,” she said. “I haven't been able to reach my sisters and my brothers by phone for the last three days."
Instead, Simon relied on news reports to keep up with the situation, until she finally made contact with her brother over the Internet.
But, it was bittersweet.
While many family members survived, Simon learned a cousin's body was found in the rubble, and two other relatives are still unaccounted for.
"I never even imagined that something like that would be happening in Haiti. Considering the situation of the country also, having so little infrastructure, things are so much more difficult for us," Simon said.
In Metairie, Chantil Gelin was on the same rollercoaster of feelings, as she waited to hear from her husband and two children, ages 3 and 15.
Gelin's husband, a Haitian national, finally called. Everyone was okay, but the details were shocking.
"My husband said he was walking home, and he could feel the ground shaking, and then he said he ran into the house and hollered, and they all ran out and the house just collapsed," Gelin said.
Now, the focus is on getting her loved ones home immediately. She takes comfort in knowing the kids are with their father.
"He said he's out looking for food. He's trying to find food. So I told him to go to the American Embassy, and make sure to tell them to bring the children back," Gelin said.
For now, Chantil Gelin and Jacqueline Simon both say they'll be paying close attention to the relief effort -- one they agree must be swift and massive.
"The people are struggling for their lives,” Simon said.“They need water. They need medicine. They need the most important things, and I'm so blessed to hear that the community internationally is responding to our needs, and I think that's what we need at this time.”
