Over 50 Katrina survivors died in Texas

[Catherine Vincent]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4972523/detail.html
HOUSTON -- At least 53 Hurricane Katrina evacuees from the New Orleans area have died since coming to Texas, medical examiners said Wednesday.

In Harris County, which includes Houston, most of the 35 deaths were from natural causes, including several heart attacks and complications from cancer. Two refugees killed themselves since an estimated 240,000 Gulf Coast residents fled to Texas because of the Aug. 29 storm.

There was one dead fetus, and ages of the adult dead ranged from 20 to 104. Many were elderly living in hospitals, hospice centers and nursing homes.

This part is really sad:

In the Houston area, two apparent suicides were reported. A 44-year-old man from Metarie, La., killed himself in a Humble hotel on Sept. 4. On Saturday, a 25-year-old male from Marrero, La., took his life in a Pasadena apartment.

[trotsky]

1. These will of course not be counted in the "official" deathcount.

But by all rights, they should be.

[cynatnite]

2. Completely agree n/t

[applegrove]

3. The stats belie 500,000 people or a million. Now when the looting

was going on and the "shots fired" those were regular crimes per population to some extent. Some opportune. Mostly kids, poor & thirsty.

Now in Texas - what would be the normal death rate for such a huge group of folks?

I'd like to know that first and then work back from there.

What was the cause of death?

Let's keep it together and keep thinking through all the anger & outrage.

[moc]

4. Here in Dallas, someone I know whose family had evacuated

had a family member die in his sleep after the first night in the hotel here. She didn't know if the death was a heart attack or what. :(

[TexanDem]

5. How dare they not "count" these people!

(quote from article)
"We think most of these people had existing conditions," said Beverly Begay, chief forensic investigator for the Harris County medical examiner's office. "Stress from the storm and the evacuation may have exacerbated their conditions."
(unquote)

No shit, Dick Tracy!!!