More than fifty patients and care workers were dramatically rescued after seeking shelter on the roof of a Tennessee hospital as a nearby river burst its banks.
Ambulances raced to Unicoi County Hospital amid treacherous flooding caused by Hurricane Helene which left no time to escape.
Dozens were driven from the building’s interior and forced onto the roof in howling wind and rain as the Nolichucky River overflowed.
The muddy brown waters quickly surrounded the structure which was built in 2018, with weather conditions so atrocious that rescue efforts were made even more difficult.
More than fifty patients and their caregivers were rescued in dramatic fashion on Friday after scores sought shelter on the roof of a Tennessee hospital after a nearby river burst its banks
54 people were rescued from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee
Several ambulances, cruisers and other emergency vehicle as flood waters deluged the area
All roads accessing the hospital were completely impassable due to flooding. Several cruisers and ambulances have been lost.
A SWAT team happened to be training at the time and was able to collect medications for the patients.
The dramatic scene at the hospital locations near the North Carolina border was one of several that played out across the southern U.S. in Helene’s wake.
Flooding caused by its storm surge and torrential rain sent thousands of police officers, firefighters, National Guard members and others on rescue missions. Hundreds were saved, but at least 40 died.
Unicoi County Hospital tried to evacuate 11 patients and 43 others on Friday morning as the facility flooded but the water was too treacherous for boats sent by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
The decision was then made to take everyone to the roof.
Ambulances raced to the scene but the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene was so bad they were unable to reach the hospital leaving patients and caregivers to head up to the roof
Several emergency vehicles belonging to the hospital were lost to the floodwaters
‘The water there simply came up faster with more debris than was safe to operate in the rafts to ferry from a dry point back to the hospital,’ said Patrick Sheehan, Tennessee’s emergency operations director.
After other helicopters failed to reach the hospital because of the storm’s winds, a Virginia State Police helicopter was able to land on the roof.
Three National Guard helicopters with hoist capabilities were on the way, officials said.
‘We ask everyone to please pray for the people at Unicoi County Hospital, the first responders on-scene, the military leaders who are actively working to help, and our state leaders,’ said Ballad Health, the hospital’s owner, on social media.
Helicopters were initially unable to help with the rescue because of the high winds
The nearby Nolichucky River overflowed with the muddy brown waters deluging the building
Everyone was rescued from the hospital by 4:15pm with all affected patients having been transferred to Johnson City Medical Center.
Hurricane Helen left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S., killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
