HOUSTON -- Hundreds of Ike victims were turned away from relief locations on Sunday night, only moments after city and county officials announced to the masses that relief was available there, Local 2 Investigates reported.

"We have six of the PODS open tonight," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett announced during a news conference from Office of Emergency Management headquarters. Earlier in the day, he and other officials had promised to list off the locations where water, food, and ice would be available during this highly anticipated briefing.

"Six are up and running," Emmett said of the PODs, which refer to "point of delivery" sites.

Moments later, lines began forming at some of the locations included in his announcement, but the parking lots were empty and police told storm victims they would be leaving empty handed. The PODs were not up and running.

Houston police Sgt. Patty Cantu was stationed outside the POD that was announced at the Harvest Time Church on Imperial Valley in northeast Houston.

"After the announcement, people started forming the lines ... there was nothing because FEMA had already rolled out, and we had to tell them at 10 a.m., so we had a lot of upset people," Cantu said.

She told them that despite the long-awaited announcement that had just been broadcast on radio and television, the POD had closed at 8 p.m., nearly two-hours before Emmett's announcement.

A Local 2 Investigates camera recorded FEMA trucks leaving with supplies from a staging area at Reliant Park during the evening hours, only to arrive at the POD locations before the announcement was broadcast.

"There were hundreds of people out here," said Cantu. "They were getting water, MRE's (meals ready to eat) and ice."

The empty-handed storm victims were the latest confusing turn for storm relief after Hurricane Ike. Emmett and Houston Mayor Bill White both said earlier Sunday that they had been counting on FEMA to hand out relief at the various POD locations -- then they found out they had to arrange it themselves. It was left up to local governments.

"The good news is, it didn't languish 'til the next day before somebody told us about this little failure in communication," said Emmett.

He maintained that FEMA had not misled local officials or failed to deliver, but he did not explain why local emergency planners were counting on something that was not in the cards.

White had pointed words earlier in the day, blaming FEMA for the hassle. He said the city had already provided FEMA with the locations of the POD relief sites and he would make sure FEMA was held accountable for the relief that officials had been promised.

At the evening announcement, he said the city's responsibility had been "clarified" with regard to the PODs.

"Well, there wasn't a breakdown in communication," White insisted. "Nor am I pleased at the sequence of events," he said.

"Now that we know that it is the local responsibility, if they won't do it, we'll find somebody to supplement what FEMA can do to get the supplies here," said White. "There was a time where we were told that individuals from outside the local government would be responsible for making ready certain aspects of these PODs."

Emmett dismissed criticism of what he called "a minor communication snafu" that did not cause much of a delay.

"Anybody out there waving their arms and yelling, they're just off base," said Emmett.

The POD relief locations announced on Sunday night were:

Harvest Time Church at 17770 Imperial Valley Drive in the Greenspoint area of northeast Houston
Baker Junior High in La Porte, 9700 Spencer Highway
4100 Decker in the City of Baytown
Pal's Gym in the City of Pasadena, 2910 E. Southmore
Klein's Grocery in the City of Tomball
The Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department at 2000 Bayport (which Emmett said would only be open on Sunday night).

City and county leaders said 17 POD locations would be announced Monday.