Hurricane aftermath reports highlight rescues, flood-resistant engineering

Editor's Note

The success of flood-resistant engineering and a daring rooftop rescue are amid the positive stories to emerge amid the many tragedies wrought by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 this past weekend in Florida before drenching much of the Southeast and Midwest.

Left with too little time to relocate patients, Tampa General Hospital deployed the Aquafence FloodWall, which forms a water-tight barrier after anchoring in place without the need for additional fill, weights, or supports, according to a report published September 29 in Techspot. In addition to raid deployment, the system offers the advantage of becoming stronger and more stable as water pressure increases.

Capable of withstanding storm surges up to 15 feet, the FloodWall had already proven its worth for the region’s only level-one Trauma center by the time Helene arrived. Thorough inspections and improvements after storms since 2019 have helped ensure the system’s long-term integrity, the article notes, adding that rushing water at a depth of just one foot can exert more than 500 lbs (227 kg) of lateral force and, at two feet, can carry most large vehicles.  

Other hospitals were forced to take more drastic measures. According to a September 27 CNN report, Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, moved more than 50 people—including some patients—to the roof when flooding and high winds prevented evacuation via helicopter or ambulance. As of Friday evening, everyone trapped atop the nonprofit, 10-bed hospital had been evacuated. As detailed in the article, the water had climbed to within 10 feet of the roofline when rescuers arrived.

According to a September 30 report in the Associated Press, the total death toll from the storm was nearing 100 by Monday morning as the emergency rush of supplies continued to affected areas.