Nurses Assist in Hurricane Milton Recovery Efforts

• Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 hurricane. 
• At least 17 people have died as a result of the hurricane and related weather events. 
• Nurses from around the country are helping treat patients and assist with recovery efforts. 

Mere days after Hurricane Helene ravaged states on the east coast, Hurricane Milton blazed a path of destruction that brought tornadoes and torrential rains to Florida communities.

Some hospitals and medical facilities postponed surgeries and ordered evacuations in preparation for the storms. But in the aftermath, nurses, first responders, and other healthcare workers converged on the ravaged cities to help with recovery efforts. 

The Details of Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct. 9, as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key, Florida. As of Oct. 11, at least 17 people have died, according to NBC News.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a major disaster declaration in Florida, while Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in more than 50 counties. As of Oct. 12, more than 1.4 million Florida residents were still without power.

DeSantis’s state of emergency declaration allows nurses and other medical and healthcare professionals to provide care at no charge and under the condition that they are “rendered under the auspices of the American Red Cross or Florida Department of Health.” The declaration also waives licensure requirements for APRNs, RNs, and LPNs and telehealth registration requirements for APRNs. 

Nursing Response to Hurricane Milton

In preparation for the hurricane, more than 200 hospitals evacuated patients and put a hold on surgeries, according to a Guardian report, but in the days since Milton made landfall, some are returning to normal operations.

Tampa Bay resident Gina Quinn, RN, was working at Tampa Bay General Hospital when Milton made landfall. Originally from Conception Bay South in Canada, she told CBC that once the storm pass, the hospital was “inundated.”

But she was grateful the area didn’t take a “direct hit” from the storm.

“There’s almost a sense of relief after the hurricane because even though the place is a mess and there’s no gas in it, and everything is just crazy right now, you know you survived and what’s done is done and now you just get to fixing,” Quinn told CBC.

UMC Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, sent its NICU transport team to Florida, and it’s expected to offer assistance for up to two weeks.

“It’s stressful to have an infant in critical condition under the best circumstances, but to be, you know, to be in the situation that they’re in in Florida, and for the parents and for the medical providers, for our team to go and be able to support them and to provide aid it’s an honor to the staff,” Jill Shanklin, vice president of Nursing Excellence for UMC, told KCBD. “We’re so proud of them as an organization, and so it’s, it’s exciting for us.” 

A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service also has been deployed to the greater Tampa area. The 37-member team, according to DHS, is supporting St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. 

The Bottom Line

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida earlier this month, bringing torrential rain and tornadoes to the state. Several hospitals evacuated and postponed surgeries in preparation for the storm, but are starting to return to normal operations. Nurses have traveled from out of state to assist in the hurricane’s aftermath. Those interested in donating to the cause to assist nurses in need can do so through the Florida Nurses Association website. 

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