Both Deblieux and DeBoisBlanc had been through hurricanes before, but each said they felt this storm was going to be different.
"Typically when we do activations, it's two days of flurry and a lot of activity and then ... everybody goes home. In this case we had the sense that it was going to be a bit more substantial," Deblieux said.
Also, they "called FEMA"...don't they have telephone numbers to private evacuation companies? Did they call the Army? Why were 50 patients on a roof, when helicopter can take only a few at a time? Why didn't anyone think of boats? (they did come, later).
Help for the patients back at Charity Hospital didn't come until the fifth day of the disaster. Air boats from the Wildlife and Fisheries Departments of three states began to arrive, with armed guards on their bows. Some patients were loaded on 18-wheelers that backed up to the emergency room ramp. The rest -- the majority -- went out on boat
Summary: Heroism, but not well organized...
