TAMPA, Florida — Hospitals in the Tampa Florida area are bracing for a monster storm. According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ website, As of Tuesday afternoon 10 hospitals reported evacuations, and 300 healthcare facilities evacuated Tuesday morning.
The storm is predicted to have devastating impacts and emergency officials in the area are urging residents to evacuate.
“If you call the police and expect them to come and save you, you better evacuate because we are not going to be able to,” said a member of Tampa’s emergency management Monday.
However, some patients at Tampa General Hospital are too unwell to leave, so the hospital erected a removable watertight flood wall to battle storm surge.
“When I think about what’s about to happen to Florida,” said Chief Nursing Officer, Lindsey Casey of LCMC, “It reminds me a lot of Katrina. It’s the only time we ever closed our doors, and we evacuated our patients.”
Casey knows all too well what it’s like to face a massive hurricane system while caring for vulnerable patients.
“We had the support of hospitals throughout the Gulf South and Mississippi to help support our patients,” said Casey. “Thinking about just how challenging that was and really how heroic our healthcare team members were in moving patients.”
Last month, the staff had to lock down as it faced Hurricane Francine. While the hospital is equipped to handle a strong weather system, leadership says it’s important to find ways to stay positive during these events to pass the time.
“We felt it was our responsibility to create distractions,” said Casey, “And moments of fun so it wasn’t just stressful.”
During Hurricane Laura LCMC Children’s helped to evacuate three NICU babies from Lake Charles. Returning a 15-year-old favor when LCMC needed help evacuating during Hurricane Katrina.
Now the system is extending that same courtesy to any Florida area hospital that may need help during Milton.
“It’s the last thing you want to have to do,” she said. “But I think it’s one of those moments where the healthcare and hospital systems, the camaraderie that exists really shines their brightest and so if the Florida community needs us, I hope that they think about us.”
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