50+ people awaiting rescue on roof of Tennessee hospital

UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 50 people were sent to the roof of a Tennessee hospital on Friday and were awaiting rescue as flooding cut the hospital off from land, according to Ballad Health.

Ballad, a hospital chain headquartered in Tennessee, said at 10:45 a.m. that the Unicoi County Hospital had closed and suspended operations due to the threat of flooding.

Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency told hospital leadership that the hospital needed to be evacuated due to the “unusually high and rising water from the Nolichucky River.”

There were 11 patients at the hospital that Ballad planned to transfer. However, ambulances sent to evacuate the patients could not safely get to them due to the rising water.

“The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water,” Ballad said in a news release. The water started coming into the building and was moving so quickly, rescue boats weren’t able to safely navigate the area.

Ballad confirmed that as of 12:27 p.m., 54 people had been relocated to the hospital’s roof.

“Due to high winds, no helicopters could safely fly in an effort to help evacuate the hospital,” the company said.

By 2:50 p.m., conditions had improved and rescues by helicopter got underway.

Nexstar’s WJHL made attempts to get close to the hospital, but roads in the area are impassable. WJHL’s Drone 11 was able to capture video of the people stranded on the roof. The drone footage also shows the extent of the flooding in the area.

The National Guard has sent resources to work with TEMA to assist in what Ballad leaders described as “a dangerous rescue operation.”

“We ask everyone to please pray for the people at Unicoi County Hospital, the first responders on-scene, the military leaders who are actively working to help and our state leaders,” the release states.

Elective surgeries at Ballad facilities have been postponed, and several of the hospital system’s clinics and urgent care offices have closed.