Hospitals mostly rebound after Helene knocked out power and flooded areas
Hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities
While hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities, they were not unscathed.
The massive system battered the region's health centers, causing blackouts, wind damage, supply issues and flooding — leading to a dramatic rescue of patients and workers at the Unicoi County Hospital in eastern Tennessee.
Most hospitals used generators or backup systems to power their facilities through the hurricane. Many places halted elective procedures. Few closed completely.
Providers, like their communities, are now in the recovery phase. Health care workers are still unaccounted for in western North Carolina, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville. Officials also say mental health care facilities were destroyed in that area.