Veterans Home Flooded, Hearts Flooded With Loving Response

Veterans forced to relocate during the flood
KSLA News
By Kevin Frey, Reporter
Monday, August 22nd 2016

"My heart is just so full, I don't know what to say -- but thank you all so much," said Ethel Comeaux to the volunteers. "There is people who care, people do care. This is the evidence of what people do for you."

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A handful of veterans in Baton Rouge were forced to relocate after the storm left their home flooded.

The owners of the Magnolia Care Center on Florida Boulevard are now working to get their veteran's home back up and running after it took on approximately 5 feet of water. The flood left a destructive path at the center, causing floor tiles to crack, walls to become waterlogged, and mold to grow.

Byron and Ethel Comeaux have owned the center for the last 15 years. Never once has it flooded.

The facility serves as a home to around 10 veterans. All of them suffer from either bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a result, they need constant and intensive care.

"It's very, very hard for changes to happen to them -- so when you have a change, they don't understand the change," said Byron Comeaux, who is himself an army veteran.

Last week, however, one of those changes came in the blink of an eye as the waters rose around the facility.

"It was coming fast. I told Mr. Comeaux, if we waited 20 minutes, we would not have been able to leave," said Donald Crochet, a resident of the facility.

The residents were relocated to a home in north Baton Rouge. Many of the residents are counting down the days until they can go back home to Florida Boulevard.
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