Elaborate flood-protection systems help Jacksonville hospitals weather Hurricane Milton

Jacksonville-area hospitals weathered Hurricane Milton 's high winds and rain with no major damage or flooding, according to their representatives.

Even Baptist Health's facilities in flood-prone San Marco and on the St. Johns River and Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside, also on the river, escaped unscathed, they said.

Hospitals, particularly those on or near the river, implemented elaborate measures to protect themselves.

"Baptist Jacksonville and our other locations in San Marco, which are close to the St. Johns River, are safeguarded by an advanced flood-protection system designed to ensure the safety of our patients, team members and facilities throughout the duration of a major storm," spokeswoman Cindy Hamilton said. "We also have built-in and backup pumps to move water away from the facility. These preparation efforts have consistently protected the hospital from floodwaters, ensuring that critical operations remain unaffected during major storms."

The flood-protection system includes massive metal barriers, inside and out, to block the river and floodwaters advancing into the property. Hurricane doors are also part of the system.

That's why those facilities came through the storm "remarkably well," Hamilton said. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who worked before and during the storm to keep all our hospitals and emergency centers operational and accessible to our community."

Still, the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in San Marco closed Thursday because it is an outpatient facility only and in a flood-prone area. Many of the center's treatment appointments were moved to Baptist MD Anderson locations at Baptist South and Baptist Clay that remained open.

Some of Baptist Health's primary care, specialty care and laboratory offices also closed Thursday, but all locations reopened Friday with normal operations.

At Ascension Riverside, flood prevention is a year-round effort.

"We consistently evaluate areas of the facility that are prone to flooding and implement mitigation plans. We also review our storm disaster plan and practice downtime procedures," spokesman Gary Nevolis said. "These efforts help prepare our staff to continue caring for patients during inclement weather."

Before a storm, staff perform "hardening," which refers to making a structure — from windows and doors to water supply to electrical equipment — less vulnerable to damage from flooding, high winds and flying debris, according to WGI , a national design and professional services firm. Hardening can also include such measures as securing loose material and equipment and ensuring drains are clear, Nevolis said.

Also at Ascension Riverside, a "multidisciplinary incident command team" meets regularly to monitor the storm, leads safety efforts and communicate with other local and state health systems to discuss best practices, he said.

Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic, UF Health Jacksonville and HCA Florida's area hospitals — Memorial in Jacksonville, Orange Park in Clay County and Putnam in Putnam County — were also undamaged.

"Nothing at all," Mayo spokesman Kevin Punsky said.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Elaborate flood-protection systems help Jacksonville hospitals weather Hurricane Milton