‘No other option’ | Unicoi Co. Hospital administrator recounts rooftop flood rescue
ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – The top official at Ballad Health’s Unicoi County Hospital said moving everyone to the roof on Friday during severe flooding quickly became the only possible course of action.
News Channel 11 met with Hospital Administrator Jennifer Harrah at Ballad’s recently established Medical Response Unit, a temporary medical tent in the Unicoi County High School parking lot.
Ballad Health: Everyone rescued from Unicoi County Hospital
Some of the workers who were stuck on the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital are now lending a hand at the unit.
Harrah was on the roof during Friday’s dramatic rooftop rescue amid rising floodwaters.
Based on the rapidly deteriorating conditions that day, Harrah said hospital leaders had no choice but to go to the roof.
“There was no other option,” Harrah said. “I think when you start looking at the data and seeing the magnitude of what happened, there’s no predictability around that. Evacuation was to be on the safe side. When all of that happened, you just do what you have to do at the time.”
Harrah said hospital staff started working immediately to get patients to safety once the word to evacuate came down at 9:38 a.m. Friday morning.
“It’s really hard to put into words,” Harrah said. “It was unreal how quick something like that can happen. I wasn’t looking at my watch. We were just steadily working.”
WATCH: Drone 11 captures scope of flood damage in Washington County, TN
She said the situation quickly escalated as every option of escape became dangerous.
Ambulances could not reach the facility to take patients elsewhere.
“One avenue after the next wasn’t working,” Harrah said. “We realized our last option was to get to the roof.”
Then as winds and floodwaters continued to pummel the hospital, conditions were too dangerous for boats. Initially, the winds were too high for helicopters to safely access the roof.
After waiting what seemed like an eternity, Harrah said it was a feeling of relief once the first helicopter finally came down.
“Knowing that we were going to get patients and team members to safety, I’ll forever be thankful to the Lord for that,” Harrah said. “Looking back, you can see the right people were there. The first responders, the swiftwater rescue team, the helicopters. That was our last hope for safety. It was just amazing to see everyone come together to save us.”
As for Ballad’s long-term future in Unicoi County, Harrah said the future is unclear simply because of the unprecedented nature of the incident.
“There’s something special about the people here, and we’re invested in it,” Harrah said. “I don’t know what the long-term plans are. We’ve never been in this type of event, but our heart is here, and we’ll be there for them.”
Harrah asked people to stay away from the hospital area for safety and to allow response crews ample space to clear out debris.
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