‘Dangerous rescue operation’ saves dozens trapped on roof of flooded Tennessee hospital
Catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene led to an urgent rescue mission in the eastern Tennessee town of Erwin, where helicopters raced to pluck dozens of staff and patients stranded on the roof of a flooded hospital.
Dozens stranded on hospital rooftop in Tennessee during Helene flooding
Cellphone video from the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee on Friday as employees and patients waited to be rescued from Helene's flooding. (Video Courtesy: Jim Reeves, CEO MedicOne Medical Response)
ERWIN, Tenn. — Catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene led to an urgent rescue mission in the eastern Tennessee town of Erwin, where helicopters raced to pluck dozens of staff and patients stranded on the roof of a flooded hospital.
Waters from the swollen Nolichucky River began quickly rising at the Unicoi County Hospital early Friday morning, according to a statement from Ballad Health.
Hospital officials called for ambulances to come evacuate 11 patients, but flooding quickly worsened to the point where ambulances could no longer safely reach the hospital.
The town of Erwin, Tennessee under flood waters in the wake of days of torrential rains. (Rep. Diana Harshbarger / FOX Weather)
Emergency officials then sent rescue boats to evacuate the hospital as water began pouring inside the facility, but the water around the hospital "became extremely dangerous and impassable and prevented the boats from safely being able to evacuate the hospital," Ballad Health officials said.
High winds from Helene also made it too dangerous to attempt helicopter rescues, officials said.
By midday, 54 people had made it to the roof of the building while seven have managed to remain in rescue boats.
"The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water," officials said. "The situation at the hospital is very dangerous and (Tennessee Emergency managers) and National Guard resources are engaged in what can only be described as a dangerous rescue operation."
Helicopters were finally able to begin air evacuations just after 2 p.m., according to a post by Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger.
Ballad Health officials said all staff and patients had been safely evacuated by 4:40 p.m., with patients transferred to Johnson City Medical Center.
The Unicoi Hospital will remain closed until damage can be assessed after floodwaters recede.
The National Weather Service said 5-7 inches of rain fell across the east Tennessee lowlands but rainfall totals reached 15-25 inches in the nearby Appalachians.