NAVHOSP Pensacola Recovers from Hurricane Ivan
Story Number: NNS040921-07
Release Date: 9/21/2004 12:30:00 PM
By Rod Duren, Naval Hospital Pensacola Public Affairs
PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Four days removed from Hurricane Ivan, Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola, Fla., returned to near-normalcy with morning colors, Sept. 20.
The nearly 30-year-old medical facility sustained an estimated $1 million in property damage overall to facilities, including damage to windows and the loss of a large section of roofing surface.
Temporary damage control and repair to the roof surfaces was completed Sept. 19, and the hospital is “full up” with shore electrical power, said NH Pensacola Executive Officer Capt. Peter O’Connor, despite utility failures and intermittent local telephone service.
“We’re here to show the world Naval Hospital Pensacola is back in operation and recognizes its role to this country and our people here,” said Commanding Officer Capt. Matthew L. Nathan. "We got kicked in the tail by one of the worst storms in U.S. history, but if there are any questions as to whether we could weather any storm...here’s your answers,” he said pointing to the American flag.
The hospital’s storm watch, beginning Sept. 14, lasted more than 120 hours for most of the emergency staffs aboard before relief help began arriving.
During the storm watch, the hospital delivered 10 babies and conducted multiple emergency surgeries while sustaining Category 4 hurricane winds in excess of 135 mph and driving rains.
“The storm was awful,” said Capt. Pam Roark, head of Nursing Services. “Ceiling tiles in the (Incident Command Center) were flapping in the breeze. The third floor was like a wind tunnel with (closed) doors being pushed open at will by the wind.
“Now, we’re cleaning it up and getting back to normal pretty quickly,” she said. “The sun was shining at morning colors, and now we’re getting back to providing health care and providing assistance to the (Northwest Florida) community.”
A Navy Assistance Center for local Sailors is to be set up at nearby Corry Station Sept. 22, where Navy Relief, Federal Emergency Management Agency, banking, insurance and TRICARE representatives will be available.
One of two Navy Medicine mental health “Sprint Teams” is onboard from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va. A second, from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla., is expected to be enroute by week's end to assist area military families.
The Fleet Hospital Support Office is also sending two field operating rooms for contingency use and four Temper tent wards that could be made available for as many as 120 potential staff members displaced by the storm.
Pensacola area branch medical clinics at Corry Station and Naval Air Station Whiting Field will be up on shore power Sept. 22. The clinics at NAS Pensacola and Naval Air Technical Training Command Pensacola, located aboard the naval air station, took hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and remain closed.
