If Hawai'i were hit by a natural disaster, victims across the state could call one phone number for information about shelters, food and other emergency services.

Havinne Okamura, who directs Hawai'i's 211 program, is working to make sure Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi have the same service.

"It's one way that Hawai'i can actually assist in the disaster response," Okamura said. While many states have regional 211 lines, Hawai'i is one of only four states with a statewide line, which means if one island were put out of commission, call centers on other islands would still be available.

Okamura traveled to Jackson, Miss., to help set up a statewide 211 information and referral service there. The statewide 211 lines in Louisiana have been flooded by calls from those seeking aid. In Texas, which has taken in many of the evacuees, the 211 lines have been receiving 18,000 calls a day from people looking for answers about everything from how to replace a driver's license lost in the evacuation to how to find food or shelter.

In Mississippi, victims have to figure out which toll-free number will get them the answers to which questions. Sometimes they have to guess.

Okamura met one couple seeking housing who had been turned away when they showed up at the wrong agency. "They were extremely upset. ... They were just turned away and told to go somewhere else," she said.

As the state coordinator for Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster, Okamura is also helping United Way chapters in Mississippi establish relationships with first responders and other organizations that can help in relief efforts.

Hawai'i's 211 line began in the early 1990s as ASK-2000. Aloha United Way took the information and referral line in 2000, when it became 211. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Aloha United Way decided to keep the lines open 24 hours a day.

The operators at the 211 call center can offer information and referrals on 4,000 different listings that cover a wide array of services, such as those for domestic violence, childcare and flu shots.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.