Hurricane Sandy in NYC: Bellevue Hospital Is Being Evacuated

By carolyncastiglia | October 31st, 2012 at 2:53 pm

bellevue evacuating, hurricane sandy nyc

Bellevue Hospital is evacuating 700 patients.

Update 3:03 pm: 13 chronic care facilities have been evacuated in Zone A. All patients are safe and cared for. Coney Island Hospital evacuation almost completed. VA Hospital evacuated as well. 500 patients at Bellevue being evacuated, 200 already discharged. – Bloomberg press conference, NY1

I just heard on NY1 that the nation’s oldest public hospital, Bellevue Hospital, is currently being evacuated. According to ABC News, “New York City’s Bellevue Hospital and its remaining 700 patients have struggled along in the aftermath of Sandy — with failing power, partially lighted halls, no computers, making it difficult to locate patients within the facility.”

ABC News adds, “When Sandy hit the New York area Monday night, Bellevue almost lost its generators. At least one got repaired just in time to stave off an evacuation, but it’s been a struggle to keep the hospital going. Now an evacuation is expected — making Bellevue the second of the city’s public hospitals to be taken off line because of precarious and failing conditions that could endanger patient health.” Additionally, “A spokesman at Mount Sinai Medical Center told ABC News that when Mount Sinai could no longer reach anyone at Bellevue, it sent a medical team of eight to Bellevue …. Today Bellevue nurses could be seen walking up and down stairs with food trays and medicine. Some had to hike to the 17th floor, where some patients have ‘serious conditions.’”

NYU Langone Medical Center successfully evacuated all of its patients Monday night.

Photo credit: NYC.gov

About the Author

Carolyn Castiglia is a New York-based comedian/writer wowing audiences with her stand-up and freestyle rap. You may recognize her hip-hop alter ego Miss CKC from Comedy Central, VH1 and MTV2. Carolyn’s web vids have been nominated for an ECNY Award and featured in two issues of EW magazine. She’s appeared in TONY, The NY Post, The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes and Life & Style. You can find Carolyn’s writing elsewhere online at MarieClaire.com and The Huffington Post.

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