As Hilary hits West, California hospital floods

Patient care areas were not affected after a California hospital's emergency department flooded because of Tropical Storm Hilary, according to local reports. 

A pond near Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., overflowed on Aug. 20, prompting workers to lay out towels and sandbags, according to NBC News. An hour before the thin layer of water entered the hospital's halls, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Southern California. The earthquake rippled near Ojai, Calif., which is about 200 miles northeast of Rancho Mirage, according to The Weather Channel. 

A spokesperson for Eisenhower told Fox Weather that the water entered through the ambulance bay area and has since receded. The hospital is prepared to switch to generator power if necessary, and it hasn't noted an uptick in patients during Hilary, according to the report. 

Hilary peaked as a Category 4 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm as it made landfall and moved through Mexico to California over the weekend. 

The tropical storm is forecasted to make its way northward and move further inland toward Nevada, and California is bracing for days of flooding as runoff rainwater travels down mountains and through waterways. California hasn't seen a tropical storm in 26 years, according to The Weather Channel.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars