Bellevue Hospital Center

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Bellevue Hospital Center Hurricane
Sandy10/29/12
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The Storm
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Hurricane Sandy Floods New York City

• NYC was perfectly positioned to absorb the worst
  of Hurricane Sandy's storm surge -record 13
  feet.
• Lower Manhattan received the brunt of the
  flooding.

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• A man uses his mobile phone to photograph a
  closed and flooded subway station in lower
  Manhattan, in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012.
  Due to superstorm Sandy, New York City awakened
  Tuesday to a flooded subway system, shuttered
  financial markets and hundreds of thousands of
  people without power a day after a wall of
  seawater and high winds slammed into the city,
  destroying buildings and flooding tunnels.
• AP Photo/Richard Drew) Source AP2012

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Hoboken Path Train Station
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• Vehicles are submerged on 14th Street near the
  Consolidated Edison power plant, Monday, Oct. 29,
  2012, in New York. Sandy continued on its path
  Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass
  transit, schools and financial markets, sending
  coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a
  dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. 
• (AP Photo/ John Minchillo) Source AP2012

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• FDNY inflatable boats travel along 14th street
  towards the East River on a rescue in the wake of
  Hurricane Sandy, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New
  York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the
  storm forced the shutdown of mass transit,
  schools and financial markets, sending coastal
  residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous
  mix of high winds and soaking rain.
• (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano) Source AP2012

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• NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29 Rising water, caused
  by Hurricane Sandy, rushes into a subterranian
  parking garage in the Financial District of NYC.
  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the
  closure of all New York City bus, subway and
  commuter rail service as of Sunday evening
• (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
  Source 2012 Getty Images

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• Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, the New York skyline
  remains dark. In an attempt to lessen damage from
  saltwater to the subway system and the electrical
  network beneath the city's financial district,
  New York City's main utility cut power to about
  6,500 customers in lower Manhattan. But a far
  wider swath of the city was hit with blackouts
  caused by flooding and transformer explosions.
• (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Source AP2012

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Bellevue Storm Damage
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Bellevue Storm Damage

• 13 ft of water flooded the basement where the
  power grid and fuel pumps were located
• All 36 elevator shafts flooded, shutting down the
  system
• Land line and cell phones were down
• No running water
• Minimal lighting via emergency generators

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Survival

• Medical care continued
• Emergency generators were on the 13th floor
• Fuel needed to be brought to these generators, so
  the bucket brigade was born
• With the assistance from the National Guard, the
  bucket brigade continued for 4 days to keep the
  generators functioning, which allowed a safe
  evacuation

Bucket brigade at Bellevue Hospital
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Fuel Delivery
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New York Citys Bellevue Hospital forced to
Evacuate Patients After Sandy

• National Guard Soldiers and Ambulances assist
• Bellevue Hospital during Evacuation, October
  31, 2012.

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The Evacuation
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The Evacuation
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Evacuation Continues
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Recovery Phase
Pumping heat into the south lobby
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Remediation

• Damage assessment began after pumping out gt 6
  million gallons of water from the basement
• Contractors evaluated the entire ventilation
  system, air and water quality along with
  cleaning, disinfection and mold remediation
• Continuous environmental testing for air quality,
  mold spores, coliforms and Legionella were being
  conducted
• Disposal of enormous amounts of pharmaceuticals,
  supplies and equipment

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Rebuilding electrical panels on the first floor
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Electrical panels moved up to the first floor
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Clinics Opening (Nov. 19, 2012)
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Open for Business (2/7/13)
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Lessons Learned

• Power sources must be on higher floors
• Elevators should be kept at higher floors
• Flashlights are needed in every area
• Walkie-talkies must be distributed to key
  personnel
• Utilize a vendor-based inventory contract to keep
  supplies to a minimum, but maintain adequate
  inventory
• Communication must be continuous

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Press Release February 7, 2013Bellevue Hospital
Center Re-Opens With Full Ambulance and Level 1
Trauma Services