Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Doomed nursing home had offer of bus transport
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) ^ | Saturday, September 10, 2005 | Paul Rioux

Posted on 09/10/2005 10:07:46 PM PDT by Mount Athos

Less than 24 hours before Hurricane Katrina began ravaging St. Bernard Parish with 140 mph winds and a 20-foot storm surge, Coroner Bryan Bertucci made an urgent call to the owner of St. Rita's Nursing Home near Poydras.

"I told her I had two buses and two drivers who could evacuate all 70 of her residents and take them anywhere she wanted to go," he said.

But Mabel Mangano refused the offer. "She told me, 'I have five nurses and a generator, and we're going to stay here,'" Bertucci said.

It turned out to be a tragic decision.

On Wednesday, nine days after the storm had passed, Bertucci watched as a dozen workers from a federal agency that specializes in handling mass casualties began the gruesome task of removing about 30 decomposing bodies from the still-flooded nursing home.

On Thursday, Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. announced he's launching an investigation into the deaths at the nursing home. "I want answers. I want to know why those people were trapped and were not evacuated," Foti said. The storm pounded through the parish's levees, unleashing raging floodwaters that knocked able-bodied men off their feet. At the single-story, privately-owned nursing home, residents confined to their beds or wheelchairs were quickly overwhelmed by the rapidly rising water, Bertucci said.

As the storm raged, neighbors and firefighters in boats rescued about 40 nurses and residents, carrying some -out on their mattresses. But rescuers could not save everyone. The body of an elderly woman wearing a housedress was found on a concrete patio near the front door. An elderly man's body was slumped over the back of a chair, a recovery worker said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: buses; elderly; evacuation; katrina
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last
To: Born in a Rage
"Mangano, who Bertucci said stayed at the nursing home during the hurricane, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Bertucci said he believes she survived the storm, but he has not spoken to her."
41 posted on 09/11/2005 12:31:23 AM PDT by Enterprise (When Rats govern they screw up and people die. Then, the Rats want to punch the President.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: OKIEDOC

I'm still wondering if this was the nursing home that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff was refering to when he talked about the person in the office whose mom phoned him from Monday night to Friday and then drowned Friday. It sounds like the all those in the nursing homes drowned the first night. It also sounds like St. Bernard parish tried to evacuate all the nursing homes before the storm.

I haven't seen anywhere where the media has followed up on that story and I really feel kind of guilty even questioning it, but it still bothers me because I've always had the feeling that story was not all true and it really disgusts me if he didn't tell the truth about someone's death just to make something that was already a tragedy more dramatic.


42 posted on 09/11/2005 12:42:22 AM PDT by Elyse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: DakotaRed

The school buses were not used because they were not needed. The CTA used their buses and even those were half empty.


43 posted on 09/11/2005 12:45:35 AM PDT by Prodn2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
"I told her I had two buses and two drivers who could evacuate all 70 of her residents and take them anywhere she wanted to go," he said.

But Mabel Mangano refused the offer. "She told me, 'I have five nurses and a generator, and we're going to stay here,'" Bertucci said.

Sounds as though Mabel may be related to the LA Governor and N.O. Mayor, or maybe it is just something in their drinking water that makes them make such totally STUPID decisions.

44 posted on 09/11/2005 12:48:36 AM PDT by Dustbunny (The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Elyse
The President of Saint Bernard Parish was the one on Meet The Press who acted like a complete idiot crying and blaming Bush.

He said that the FEMA people promised to come and get people in a nursing home for five days.

However, they never came and all the people in the nursing home died.

Now:
What I want to know is why those people were not evacuated when the mandatory order was given.

What responsibility did this so called leader have towards those who could not help themselves.

To me his grieving caterwauling crying spell was nothing more than trying to deflect criticism away from his irresponsibility.

As for Jefferson Parish it may be the same nursing home but this idiot definitely said it was Saint Bernard on MTP.

Either way the sorry bastard was irresponsible.
45 posted on 09/11/2005 1:22:28 AM PDT by OKIEDOC (There's nothing like hearing someone say thank you for your help.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Old Professer

How she "felt" is immaterial. She is criminally negligent and, if alive, should be prosecuted. Then maybe the next person entrusted with the welfare of helpless people in such a situation will make a better choice.


46 posted on 09/11/2005 1:30:18 AM PDT by LadyNavyVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

It is stories like this, (and there may be dozens of them) that will be pointed to by officials who have justifiably had fingers pointed at them. Before long 95% of those who either perished or was dispossessed/dislocated will be lumped in with the "unmoveables", as reasons why the Mayor and Governor failed so badly in the "evacuation" phase.
So something will a small grain of truth will eventually be promoted as "the whole story", supplanting the considerably more complex set of circumstances that led to the most catastrophic destruction in American History.


47 posted on 09/11/2005 1:45:37 AM PDT by willyboyishere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Old Professer

"The offer of buses came before the storm hit; maybe we're reading different articles."

Before the storm hits is when you leave. The manifestation of the storm was 100+ mph winds and the 20-foot wall of water. By then it was too late.


48 posted on 09/11/2005 1:50:46 AM PDT by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos
This version of ths story is apparently based on one from a few days ago in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, except that the earlier article reports that Bertucci claims he called Mangano in advance.

The Times-Picayune version treats Bertucci's version as fact.

Mangano has yet to be found, but I suspect there might be another side to this story if she's alive.

49 posted on 09/11/2005 1:54:06 AM PDT by martin_fierro (Have You Forgotten?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Old Professer
Where were the buses when the water started rising?

It's far too late for busses once the water starts rising.

50 posted on 09/11/2005 4:21:12 AM PDT by alnick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

I saw the coroner on TV the other day. Sad story. He stated that some of the folks may not have survived a move, but they certainly deserved the chance.


51 posted on 09/11/2005 4:24:11 AM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OKIEDOC

Aaron Broussard is the president of Jefferson Parish. The nursing home was in St. Bernard parish. I'm not sure if the nursing home in this article is the same one Broussard was crying over in which the mother of his friend died, but I did read an article which stated that the nursing home referred to by Broussard was offered busses pre-storm and refused.


52 posted on 09/11/2005 4:25:51 AM PDT by alnick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

Why didn't the coroner call the cops, for pete's sake?


53 posted on 09/11/2005 4:28:02 AM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

And in the spirit of trust but verify, I hope someone checks the phone records to see if they back up the coroner's account.


54 posted on 09/11/2005 4:29:27 AM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: alnick

The crying crook, Broussard, is under federal investigation for stealing funds. He was bawling about FEMA and the president not coming to help the nursing home victims evacuate when it was the owners' decision to turn down buses to get the elderly out. He is beyond despicable. I wish I were on his jury...


55 posted on 09/11/2005 4:38:51 AM PDT by kittymyrib
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: alnick
Aaron Broussard is the president of Jefferson Parish. The nursing home was in St. Bernard parish. I'm not sure if the nursing home in this article is the same one Broussard was crying over in which the mother of his friend died, but I did read an article which stated that the nursing home referred to by Broussard was offered busses pre-storm and refused.
From an MSNBC article
This anger...
On Sunday, America met 56-year-old Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard in an extraordinary display of raw emotion on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he talked about a colleague whose mother was trapped in a nursing home awaiting rescue.
The man he was talking about is Thomas Rodrigue, who told “Dateline” that his 92-year-old mother was one of 32 elderly people found dead at the St. Rita’s nursing home.

56 posted on 09/11/2005 4:51:20 AM PDT by Freedom is eternally right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: ikka

Exactly


57 posted on 09/11/2005 5:02:36 AM PDT by Popman (In politics, ideas are more important than individuals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

The bodies of 30 elderly residents were found in the home in a suburb of New Orleans (RICHARD POHLE)

Link

58 posted on 09/11/2005 5:59:14 AM PDT by Popman (In politics, ideas are more important than individuals.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pepsionice
where would you go with 100-odd old geezers
"Old geezers," huh? What a poor and disrespectful choice of words-- not people, but "geezers."
59 posted on 09/11/2005 6:11:54 AM PDT by Clara Lou (W00t! IBTZ ! FP! w00t!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Mount Athos

Are applicants for positions of authority in LA, required to possess single digit IQs?


60 posted on 09/11/2005 6:13:52 AM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Must applicants for positions of authority in LA , possess IQs of single digits or less?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-85 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson