Florida hospitals weren’t ready for Hurricane Ian. Some fear the next big storm.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Hurricane Ian exposed an alarming weakness in Florida’s healthcare system: Many hospitals in the state are unprepared to quickly evacuate patients and some facilities likely couldn’t withstand a direct hit from a major storm.
The leaders of five hospitals found themselves in that situation in late September as Hurricane Ian approached.
Despite being under evacuation orders and in the path of the catastrophic storm, the hospitals remained open and removed only a handful of patients before the Category 4 hurricane made landfall, according to state records.
It was only after the hurricane had pounded the facilities for several hours that staff moved at least 640 patients fro...
