Special report. From alert to twisters: planning for and coping with tornadoes.
Hospitals in the South put their tornado disaster plans into effect in March when a series of twisters swept through Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina--destroying homes, killing 43 persons, and injuring another 250. In Piedmont, AL, a town of 5,000, 20 people were killed when a tornado destroyed the Goshen United Methodist Church. In Guntersville, AL, the roof was blown off the Marshall Manor Nursing Home, sending a number of persons to area hospitals. In this report, we will review some of the measures taken by a number of hospitals that received patients and give details on how they prepare to deal with such disasters.
D000407:Alabama; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D004190:Disasters; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005845:Georgia; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States