less than two Weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern United States, hospitals and health care providers in Florida are preparing for another destructive storm as Hurricane Milton moves toward the state’s west coast.
The National Hurricane Center described the storm, currently a Category 5 hurricane, as “extremely dangerous” Tuesday morning. When it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday near Tampa, Milton is forecast to bring strong winds and storm surges of 10 feet or more to parts of Florida’s west coast and heavy rain to most of the peninsula. .
From tuesday afternoonMore than 200 healthcare facilities in affected areas reported evacuations, including more than 100 assisted living facilities and 10 hospitals. In preparation for the storm, the Florida Department of Health has deployed more than 600 ambulances and other emergency response vehicles and established 11 shelters for people with special needs and disabilities.
“We are truly concerned about the magnitude of this hurricane and the potential catastrophic impacts,” Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, told WIRED. The organization represents the state’s more than 300 hospitals. In Florida, which sees more storms than any other U.S. state, hospitals have closed in the past due to weather disasters, but Mayhew says what’s unusual this time is the large number of health care facilities that have been evacuated. before Milton.
Affected hospitals are transferring patients to other facilities within their healthcare systems. Steve McCoy, Florida’s chief of emergency medical supervision, said during a emergency preparedness briefing Tuesday that nearly 600 vehicles, including buses, ambulances and vans, have been deployed to transport patients to safety. “This has been the largest evacuation in our history,” he said.
HCA Florida Healthcare, a network of hospitals and doctors’ offices operating across the state, said Tuesday afternoon that it is temporarily closing or suspending services at several hospitals and emergency rooms. “Once patient transfers are complete, hospitals will temporarily close and reopen when it is safe to do so following the storm,” the health care system said. said in a statement.
Hospitals that remain open have implemented flood mitigation plans, moved electrical equipment away from flooded areas and stockpiled supplies that may be needed in an emergency.
Tampa General Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Milton’s path, will remain open and has activated its hurricane preparedness plan. The academic health system is the region’s only Level I trauma center and, in a statement issued on Tuesdaysaid it is “ready to meet the needs of patients across the state who require care after the storm has passed.” Health care providers and trained emergency management personnel will remain on site during the storm to care for patients. Additional providers and staff will return to work as soon as the storm passes and roads are safe.
The hospital, which is located on Davis Islands at sea level and is protected by several systems, including a AquaFence Barrier—has a central power plant located 33 feet above sea level that can provide power supply in the event of a power outage. According to Tampa General, the power plant was built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane. The hospital says it has more than five days’ worth of supplies, including food and bedding, on site.