Hurricanegate.

Katrina was especially deadly for the elderly and the sick:

Although tragic accounts of stranded elderly who died in nursing homes emerged early in the storm's aftermath, only now, as families begin to receive answers and investigators probe problems at 13 homes, is Katrina's true toll on the sick and elderly becoming clear.

At least 139 from nursing homes died during the storm or its aftermath, according to Houston Chronicle interviews with dozens of residents, families, investigators and administrators — some of whom confirmed deaths for the first time.

All told, the dead from nursing homes account for about 10 percent of Louisiana deaths from the storm. Most died not as floodwaters rose or even in the immediate hours after the storm, according to interviews, but instead succumbed after days in brutal conditions. Their deaths and the effects on survivors represent the worst medical catastrophe for the elderly in recent U.S. history.