As the Region’s Only Level I Trauma Center, the Academic Health System Stands Ready to Treat and Support Patients in the Communities Hardest Hit by Hurricane Idalia.
August 30, 2023 – Hurricane Idalia brought heavy rains, strong winds and storm surge to the Tampa Bay region, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. However, the patients, physicians and team members at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) remain safe, with power on, ongoing patient care and plenty of supplies to support continued operations.
“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 John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “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. Because of these efforts, patients at Tampa General are safe, and we are preparing to care for Floridians in the hardest hit communities.”
At this time, current conditions at Tampa General are:
- The AquaFence worked effectively to prevent the storm surge from flooding the TGH main campus on Davis Island. The AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level.
- TGH’s power remained on throughout the storm. In the event the power to TGH’s main campus goes out, Tampa General will rely on power from the Central Energy Plant. Located 33 feet above sea level, this 16,000 square foot energy plant provides a reliable, protected power supply in the event of power disruption. The energy plant is built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane. It houses generators as well as boilers that have the ability to create steam and hot water.
- Care for patients continues. Tampa General health care providers and staff who are trained in emergency management remained on site through the hurricane to care for patients.
- Tampa General is accepting new patients. Anyone in need of care who can safely travel to Tampa General Hospital will be treated. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. Ambulances and Aeromed helicopters are operating.
- Tampa General Freestanding Emergency Centers open at 7:00 p.m. today. The TGH Brandon Emergency Center at 10740 Palm River Road and the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center at 1301 West Kennedy Boulevard will be available to treat patients.
- Tampa General resumes normal operations Thursday. It will be business as usual at Tampa General on Thursday, with plans to resume business, patient appointments, procedures and elective surgeries.
As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, the academic health system stands ready to treat and support patients in the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Idalia.
The clinical and non-clinical teams at Tampa General engage in emergency management training with partners in government and across the community several times throughout the year to plan for and practice response to severe weather events. On Monday, TGH opened its incident command center and activated the emergency response plan to enable and support continued operations, while keeping patients, physicians and team members safe. At this time, the incident command is closed, and TGH has resumed normal operations.
For the latest information on policies, facilities and updates from Hurricane Idalia visit: https://www.tgh.org/emergency-preparedness.
