Communities across the Southeast are still cleaning up three weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall. The Category 4 hurricane killed more than 200 people across North Carolina and other states, and it caused billions of dollars in damages.
One of the buildings damaged was a facility that supplies about 60% of the nation’s IV fluid, including to local hospital within the Mass General Brigham system. The hospital system delayed elective surgery for a few days last week, while other hospitals are still rationing supplies and delaying their procedures across the country.
This isn’t the first time hospitals have faced this type of shortage; it happened in 2017 after Hurricane Maria. And experts warn we should expect stronger storms like these more often thanks to a warming planet.
Radio Boston take a look at health care system readiness in Massachusetts and nationwide amid climate change.
This segment aired on October 25, 2024.