Peter Schorsch
As a new storm forms in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the Florida Peninsula again, we can expect Tampa General Hospital (TGH) to activate its hurricane preparations quickly.
The hospital takes a wide-ranging approach to ensure continued patient care, no matter what comes their way.
TGH’s hurricane plan was tested – and proven successful – during last month’s Hurricane Helene.
During Helene, Tampa Bay faced a reported seven-foot storm surge, according to the National Weather Service. But the AquaFence, an integral part of TGH’s hurricane preparations, kept the water at bay from the nearly 100-year-old hospital on Davis Islands.
Inside, patients continued to receive the world-class care for which they turned to Tampa General.
On Monday, Sept. 23, as forecasts projected Helene would become a hurricane and likely bring severe winds and rains to the Gulf Coast of Florida, Tampa General Vice President of Facilities and Construction Dustin Pasteur began setting up the AquaFence around the perimeter of the hospital.
An AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surges up to 15 feet above sea level and 130-mile-per-hour winds. It requires a team of 60 and three days to complete installation before a storm.
In an interview with CNN, Pasteur shared that Tampa General’s proactive storm mitigation efforts are essential for the Hospital to continue providing care. TGH is the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
“We’ve got some of the most critical patients in the region in this hospital, and we have a lot of them,” said Pasteur. “So, we’ve always designed this building to be resilient and be able to protect in place.”
Tampa General first purchased AquaFence in 2019, and Helene was its biggest test to date. As the tide rose and Tampa Bay flooded Davis Islands, the AquaFence proved successful.
A video shows Pasteur walking on the dry side of the wall just hours after Helene passed through, checking for vulnerabilities. On social media, millions viewed and reacted to this marvel of modern technology.
The AquaFence is just one part of Tampa General’s comprehensive hurricane plan. In 2022, Tampa General completed construction on a 16,000-square-foot Central Energy Plant. This energy plant is located 33 feet above sea level and provides a reliable, protected power supply during a power disruption.
It was built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane. The plant houses generators and boilers that can create steam and hot water.
On-site wells ensure that patients, providers, and team members have access to fresh water if water service is interrupted.
“We have two emergency wells here on-site. One is more for our chillers and our water treatment facility. Then our second water is more (for the) drinking water and patient care,” according to Erinn Skiba, TGH assistant director for public safety.
The clinical and non-clinical teams at Tampa General engage in emergency management training with government and community partners several times throughout the year to plan for and practice response to severe weather events.
Tampa General President and CEO John Couris thanked the teams participating in hurricane preparation and activation to ensure patients could receive the care they needed during Hurricane Helene.
“The state depends on Tampa General to deliver world-class care, and we are committed to deliver on that expectation while keeping our patients, physicians and team members safe from harm,” said Couris just hours after Helene passed. “That’s why we have strengthened our infrastructure to withstand severe weather, prepared and practiced emergency management, and brought in additional supplies to support our teams and patients through severe weather conditions.
“I am grateful to all the physicians and team members who remained on-site through the hurricane and for the exceptional care they continued to provide here while their families sheltered safely at home or away.”
