New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals Woodhull campus in Brooklyn evacuated and transferred 116 patients Sept. 30 to allow the facility to shut down its power and assess flood-related damage.
All patients were transferred to other facilities within the system and "no adverse patient effects" were reported throughout the process, NYC Health + Hospitals said in an Oct. 1 statement. Repairs are expected to take at least several days. In the meantime, Woodhull is not accepting patients and remains on diversion for all ambulances. During the transfer process, nurses and other staff traveled with the patients to ensure continuity of care and families were notified and provided contact information for the receiving facility, according to a hospital statement.
Extreme rainfall in the region caused a local power failure Sept. 29. Woodhull Hospital switched to backup emergency power and was then informed all power would need to be temporarily shut off to assess damage and make repairs. A spokesperson for NYC Health + Hospitals told the Gothamist that although Wodhull's electrical infrastructure was damaged, the facility did not flood.
New York City was pounded with heavy rainfall Sept. 29, causing major roadways to flood and significant disruptions to the city's public transportation system.
"There are some New Yorkers who've never seen the likes of which we experienced yesterday," Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a Sept. 30 news conference. "This event was historic. In some areas, it was record shattering. And it is the most rain ever recorded in a single day at a place like JFK — ever. Not just this summer, not this year, but ever. And the records are still coming in. We're still monitoring, the rain is still falling. And in some places, it'll be the most rain that has ever hit in 70 years."