Janelle Irwin Taylor
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has successfully weathered Hurricane Milton, with an assist from its AquaFence. It’s the second time in two weeks the innovative flood prevention device has protected the Tampa Bay region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center.
The water-impermeable barrier was installed to protect vulnerable areas of TGH’s campus against storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level.
“Preparing for Hurricane Milton was an incredible effort by the entire team and a true test of our resources, but it ensured we could continue to provide exceptional care for our patients in a high-quality, safe and uninterrupted environment before, during and after the storm,” TGH President and CEO John Couris said. “Tampa General is open to support communities impacted and particularly our first responders. Working together, we will come back from Milton stronger than ever.”
The hospital also used the AquaFence during Hurricane Helene, which caused widespread flooding in coastal and low-lying areas throughout the Tampa Bay area, despite not taking a direct hit from the storm.
TGH implements a comprehensive mitigation plan ahead of severe weather.
The hospital has an on-site energy source. Completed in 2022, a 16,000-square-foot Central Energy Plant is positioned 33 feet above sea level, providing a reliable, protected power supply in the event of power disruption. It is 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.
Likewise, TGH also has an on-site water resource, a well that can provide more than 5,000 gallons of water to support patients and team members.
The hospital also took storm precautions, including stocking more than five days of supplies, such as food and linens, to support patient care and team member needs.
The hospital also staffed its facility with professionals trained in emergency management who remained on-site throughout the storm to ensure patient care. Additional providers have returned to work to relieve those teams and continue supporting response and recovery efforts.
While Hurricane Milton did not cause the catastrophic levels of storm surge and flooding that had been predicted as a possibility, due to the storm’s landfall south of Tampa Bay, the AquaFence was still able to protect the hospital from hurricane-force winds and effectively prevent any flooding that would have occurred.
TGH did not experience any major power outages, but still proactively activated its on-site power plant to ensure there were no interruptions to operations in the event of an outage.
By Thursday morning, TGH was fully open and supporting emergency response efforts to help the community recover and begin rebuilding.
