Patients Evacuated, ERs Flooded, Hospitals Weren’t Ready for This
Extreme weather is increasingly putting hospitals and patients in harm’s way. From New York to the Caribbean, a series of flooding incidents as recent as August and November 2025 has highlighted the vulnerability of critical health infrastructure. Torrential rains, flash floods, and even internal malfunctions have shuttered emergency rooms, cut off hospital access, and forced frantic patient evacuations. Below are four recent flooding incidents, and how each disrupted patient care, hospital access, and emergency response underscored an urgent need for climate resilience in healthcare.
Historic Rainfall Floods Pediatric ER at Maimonides Hospital (Brooklyn, NY)
On July 31, 2025, rainfall struck New York City, breaking records and inundating neighborhoods. The deluge did not spare Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Floodwaters rushed into the pediatric emergency department, swamping the ER floor and equipment. Staff had to rapidly relocate pediatric patients to other areas for safety, as the flooded unit could no longer operate. The governor and mayor declared a state of emergency amid this historic flash flood, which caused widespread disruption. At Maimonides, the pediatric ER’s temporary loss strained the hospital’s capacity and delayed care for incoming emergencies. This incident demonstrated that even major urban hospitals can be crippled by extreme rainfall, vital services were interrupted and young patients put at risk until waters receded and operations could be restored.
Flash Floods Inundate Palisades Medical Center (Hudson County, NJ)
On October 30, 2025, severe flash flooding struck Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, New Jersey. Hours of heavy rain turned the hospital’s campus into a waterlogged scene. Floodwaters submerge the parking lot at Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey during an October 2025 flash flood. Parking lots and access roads were completely inundated, with cars half-underwater and staff and patients wading through knee-deep floodwaters to reach the building or their vehicles. The images from that day show hospital workers and visitors trudging through a submerged parking area, highlighting how mobility was paralyzed. These impassable conditions hindered shift changes, patient arrivals, and potentially ambulance response, as the main entryways were swamped. While the interior of Palisades Medical Center remained largely operational, the flooding around it effectively isolated the facility, illustrating how even if a hospital building stays dry, flooded surroundings can disrupt hospital operations and delay care. The October 30 storm system proved deadly elsewhere in the region confirming that critical healthcare facilities are not immune to flash floods.
Sprinkler Malfunction Floods Labor & Delivery Ward – White Plains Hospital (Westchester, NY)
Not all hospital floods come from storms. In 2024 White Plains Hospital in Westchester, an internal equipment failure caused chaos. Early one morning, a malfunctioning sprinkler system burst and unleashed thousands of gallons of water into the labor and delivery wing. Within minutes, maternity unit hallways were under ankle-deep water, and cascades of water poured down stairwells. Nurses and doctors sprang into action to protect patients: dozens of mothers, newborns, and even women in active labor were safely relocated to other parts of the hospital as alarms rang out. This unexpected flood forced evacuations and significant care disruptions, elective procedures were postponed and visitors were temporarily barred because elevators in that wing went down. The emergency department also went on a brief diversion, with ambulances directed elsewhere until the situation stabilized. While this flooding originated from a mechanical fault rather than Mother Nature, the outcome was similar: a critical healthcare unit was knocked offline, patients had to be evacuated, and the hospital faced a day of major disruption. It was a stark reminder that whether caused by climate events or infrastructure failures, flooding can cripple patient care environments in an instant.
“Extreme weather is here now, and healthcare facilities must prepare for scenarios that were once unthinkable. ”
Hurricane Melissa Blocks Hospital Entrance in Jamaica
More recently the Caribbean felt the brunt of Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm. In Jamaica, Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester Parish found itself cut off by floodwaters. As Melissa’s torrential rains lashed the island on October 28, the roadway to the hospital’s front gate became a river, rendering the main entrance impassable. The Southern Regional Health Authority reported that the entire front entrance was flooded, and emergency services had to be rerouted to a back entrance via Hargreaves Avenue, through a civic center parking area. For several critical hours, ambulances and staff could not use the primary route to the hospital, likely slowing down emergency response. Hospitals depend on open access for incoming trauma cases and urgent transfers, in this case, floodwaters literally blocked care. Authorities in Jamaica were already contending with widespread storm damage, including downed bridges and flooded communities, and the blocked entrance at Mandeville Hospital further strained disaster response efforts. Fortunately, contingency plans allowed some access from alternate gates, but the incident highlighted how hurricanes can disrupt medical care by cutting off physical access to facilities. In a crisis where every minute counts, a flooded driveway or entrance can mean life-saving care is delayed. The Mandeville Hospital flooding was one more example of extreme weather challenging the resilience of our health systems.
Rising Threat of Extreme Weather to Hospitals
This series of floods is not a coincidence but part of a growing pattern of extreme weather putting key health facilities at risk. Many hospitals, built before current climate challenges, are now vulnerable. According to a recent article by Becker’s Hospital Review, around 170 U.S. hospitals at significant risk of dangerous flooding, even in areas once thought safe. Alarmingly, flooding at many of these hospitals could “jeopardize patient care, block access to emergency rooms, and force evacuations,” according to the analysis. Moreover, some of these vulnerabilities aren’t even captured on outdated FEMA flood maps, meaning many hospitals might be at risk without fully realizing it. The record-breaking rainfall and flash floods of 2025 (Central Park saw its wettest day in over a century this year) are a wake-up call. Extreme weather is here now, and healthcare facilities must prepare for scenarios that were once unthinkable. Every incident of a flooded hospital is more than a local crisis, it’s a warning that no hospital is immune and that without proactive measures, patient lives and community health will increasingly hang in the balance.
Strengthening Hospital Resilience
The incidents above make one thing clear: hospitals and health systems must act now to bolster their resilience against floods and extreme weather. It is not enough to react after disaster strikes. We need proactive solutions that ensure continuity of care when the next storm or emergency hits. One such solution is FORTS® RapidReserve™, a program that equips hospitals and emergency planners with deployable, climate-resilient medical infrastructure on standby.
Joining FORTS® RapidReserve™ means your healthcare network will have priority access to a reserve of rapid-deployment medical units, emergency shelters, and vital supplies ready to be dispatched at a moment’s notice in the event your facility is flooded or damaged. Imagine having a fully equipped mobile field hospital or modular climate-resilient unit en route the same day your ER is inundated, allowing you to continue treating patients in a safe, dry environment.
Picture emergency shelter units with HVAC and backup power arriving just as you need to evacuate a ward, so care can continue uninterrupted. This is the kind of protection RapidReserve™ membership provides. In an era of 100-year storms striking every few years, this capability is no longer a luxury – it’s a lifeline. Hospitals, health systems, and emergency management agencies are strongly encouraged to consider partnering with FORTS® RapidReserve™ today. By investing in preparedness and having deployable medical infrastructure on call, we can prevent the next flood from shutting down our lifesaving services.
The extreme weather threats are rising, but with foresight and the right resources, we can rise to meet them.
Sources: Recent news reports and official statements. reutersconnect.com, cbsnews.com, our.today , tennesseelookout.com, people.com .
