Fewer than 100 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina remain in the Cullman area, transitioning back to a normal life, according to local Red Cross director Beverly Denson.

Figures are uncertain because most evacuees are no longer seeking assistance from the Red Cross, Denson said, but she estimated 75 evacuees are still in Cullman.

“Unless they call or come in with some specific need, we wouldn’t know they’re still here,” she said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is assigning caseworkers to those still in need of assistance, she said, a process that should be completed in a week.

Cullman got an early start on helping Katrina victims, leaving it “ahead of the game” in finding temporary and permanent housing and employment for evacuees, Denson said. About 700 evacuees came to Cullman in the weeks after the hurricane, according to Red Cross figures.

“We were very fortunate,” Denson said. “Technically we were the first in the state to start assistance with our clients, a day or two ahead of other (Red Cross) chapters.”

Denson said she spoke with FEMA officials on Monday. FEMA has given on average $20,000 to $27,000 per family family for housing and replacing personal property, she said. The amount of the payments depend on the size of the family and its actual losses in the storm.

Families are responsible for making their own arrangements with FEMA, filling out the proper forms to ensure their requests are processed. Some families’ difficulties came when FEMA had trouble locating them, she said.

Only a few families have come to the Red Cross recently with additional needs. Most are establishing some stability and none have expressed a need for help providing Christmas for their family, she said.

Denson said if needs remain, the Red Cross remains ready to help.

“We encourage this community, if they see an expressed need, to contact us because we have the resources to reach out throughout the community to meet the needs and make sure needs are being met in a consistent manner,” she said.

Evacuees who came to Cullman were “very well-treated,” Denson said.

“I have never seen a community respond to those in need like Cullman County,” said Denson, who has assisted disaster relief efforts across Alabama and other states. “Our evacuees have been very blessed to be in Cullman.”