Rescue missions after Helene's flooding include dozens stranded on Tennessee hospital roof
Patients and their caregivers were rescued from a Tennessee hospital’s roof after flooding caused by Hurricane Helene drove them from the building’s interior and conditions made rescue efforts difficult
By JONATHAN MATTISE and TERRY SPENCER
Published - Sep 27, 2024, 11:03 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:49 PM EST
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As floodwaters from Hurricane Helene quickly surrounded a small Tennessee hospital near a riverbank, workers first tried to get patients out by ambulance. Then, the road washed out.
They tried to move people to the center of the low-slung building, but they were met by water.
Once rescue boats arrived, the water was so dangerous they couldn't leave. Ultimately, dozens of staff and patients went to the roof to wait to be taken to safety, and a few others stayed in rescue boats, as winds whipped and brown waters gushed nearby with debris beneath them.
Within a few hours, they were all rescued.
