Tampa General Hospital Deploys Teams and Technologies to Prepare Davis Islands Campus for Tropical Storm Helene

Tampa General’s Emergency Response Team Readies for Severe Weather to Ensure Continued Operations Through Storm

Tampa, FL (Sept. 24, 2024) – Tampa General Hospital is continuing to monitor and prepare for possible impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. The health and safety of patients, team members and community are top priority.

Tampa General leadership and team members engage in emergency management training with government and community partners several times throughout the year to plan for and practice response to various emergencies, such as severe weather events. Tampa General activated the emergency response plan on Monday and opened its incident command center on Tuesday to enable and support continued operations.

As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, the academic health system stands ready to meet the needs of patients throughout the state who require care after the storm has passed.

Details on preparations at Tampa General Hospital on Davis Islands include:

• Facility Support – Tampa General completed construction in 2022 on a 16,000-square-foot Central Energy Plant. Located 33 feet above sea level, this energy plant provides 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.
• Patient Care – Tampa General health care providers and staff who are trained in emergency management will remain on-site throughout the storm to care for patients. Additional food, water and supplies will also be stored and available on-site for teams and patients during the storm. As soon as the storm passes, and the roads are safe, additional providers and staff will return to work to relieve teams and continue supporting response and recovery efforts.
• AquaFence – Tampa General expects to complete assembly of the AquaFence by Wednesday to protect vulnerable areas of the campus against storm surge and flooding. The AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level.

For images and B-Roll of the AquaFence installation, visit: https://mediashare.tgh.org/storm-prep.

As Tampa General continues to monitor Tropical Storm Helene, any changes to hours of operation, services available or the visitation policy will be shared online at: https://www.tgh.org/emergency-preparedness.