Tampa General Hospital is determined to remain open as Hurricane Milton passes through and is taking several steps to protect its facilities, including building a flood barrier around its Davis Islands campus.
The flood barrier, known as AquaFence, is a water-impermeable barrier made to withstand storm surges up to 15 feet above sea level, the hospital said in a statement. The fence successfully protected the facility from flooding from Hurricane Helene about two weeks ago.
The Davis Islands location is also equipped with a water well and a power plant built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
At its main campus and three other facilities, Tampa General stockpiled five days’ worth of food, bedding and other supplies, and stationed employees trained in emergency management.
“Once the storm passes and roads are safe, more providers and employees will return to work to relieve crews and continue supporting response and recovery efforts,” the hospital system said.
Almost unprecedented rapid intensification
Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified to a nearly unprecedented level, reaching Category 5 due to record heat in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to grow in size, meaning that while it may decline in category, its dangerous impacts will be spread over a much larger area.
The storm is expected to reach the coast of the Gulf of Florida this Wednesday (9), when it should be category 3. Hurricane Milton was considered the strongest storm on the planet in 2024, with sustained winds of 281 km /h.
Recently, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a storm surge and made landfall in the marshlands as a Category 4 hurricane. Authorities are urging residents — still recovering from Helene’s damage — to evacuate or prepare for another life-threatening storm.
This content was originally published in Tampa Hospital installs flood wall in anticipation of Hurricane Milton on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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