UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 50 people were sent to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital on Friday and were awaiting rescue as flooding cut the facility off from land, according to Ballad Health. A News Channel 11 crew near the hospital has observed rescues beginning at around 2:50 p.m. Ballad previously […]
UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 50 people were sent to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital on Friday and were awaiting rescue as flooding cut the facility off from land, according to Ballad Health.
A News Channel 11 crew near the hospital has observed rescues beginning at around 2:50 p.m.
Ballad previously announced at 10:45 a.m. that the hospital had closed and suspended operations due to the threat of flooding.
Ballad stated in a news release that it had been contacted by the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency at 9:38 a.m. The EMA told Ballad leadership the hospital needed to be evacuated at that time due to the “unusually high and rising water from the Nolichucky River.”
There were 11 patients at the hospital that Ballad planned to transfer. However, the hospital system stated that the ambulances sent to evacuate the patients could not safely arrive due to the quick flooding.
Ballad Health’s Chief Medical Officer was reportedly at the scene to oversee the evacuation of patients.
“The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water,” Ballad stated in a news release.
Ballad confirmed that as of 12:27 p.m., 54 people had been relocated to the hospital’s roof. At that time, seven people were in rescue boats.
Ballad Health CEO Alan Levine has been in contact with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director. TEMA has been working with local emergency management officials to deploy boats to the Unicoi County Hospital.
“Unfortunately, the water around the hospital, which had also begun intruding inside the hospital, became extremely dangerous and impassable and prevented the boats from safely being able to evacuate the hospital,” Ballad stated in the release. “Due to high winds, no helicopters could safely fly in an effort to help evacuate the hospital.”
The National Guard has sent resources to work with TEMA to assist in what Ballad leaders described as “a dangerous rescue operation.”
“We ask everyone to please pray for the people at Unicoi County Hospital, the first responders on-scene, the military leaders who are actively working to help and our state leaders,” the release states.
News Channel 11 has made attempts to get close to the hospital. Drone 11 was able to capture video of the people stranded on the roof which also shows the extent of the flooding in the area.
Roads to the hospital such as Carolina Avenue are impassable.
Elective surgeries at Ballad facilities have been postponed, and several of the hospital system’s clinics and urgent care offices have closed.
Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton had begun evacuations, as well, on Friday.