Tennessee Hospital Rebuilding Amid Flooding Concerns

A small hospital in Tennessee that was devastated by Hurricane Helene is set to be rebuilt. The Unicoi County Hospital, destroyed during the hurricane in 2024, will rise again in a location that continues to face significant flooding risks according to a KFF Health News analysis. Planned for a site behind a Walmart in Unicoi, Tennessee, the new 10-bed facility will be situated about seven miles from its previous location.

Ballad Health, responsible for the reconstruction, has pledged about $44 million towards rebuilding efforts. However, reports from climate data companies such as Fathom and First Street suggest that this new location could face several feet of flooding even in less severe storms than Helene. These models show that a 100-year flood could inundate much of the site with over two feet of water, highlighting significant flood risks not accounted for in older Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps.

Flood Concerns and Proposed Solutions

Oliver Wing, the chief scientific officer at Fathom, emphasized the visible risk at the proposed site, noting the surrounding floodplain characteristics. He added that the new site could face more frequent flooding than the original location. However, Wing suggested that elevating the hospital or constructing earthen embankments could mitigate these concerns.

Ballad Health confirmed plans for the site but did not comment on specific flood defenses. Molly Luton, a spokesperson for Ballad Health, noted cooperation with geotechnical experts, Zurich Insurance Group, and Earl Swensson Associates, an architecture firm in Nashville, for the hospital’s safe construction. The rebuilding efforts include a $7.4 million grant from FEMA, though FEMA flood maps do not identify the site as a flood zone, possibly due to outdated information.

Importance of Updated Flood Data

Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, advised using the latest flood data from Fathom and First Street rather than relying solely on FEMA maps. He pointed out that Ballad Health should adopt the latest standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which recommend building hospitals to withstand a 1,000-year flood. Google’s elevation data indicates that this might necessitate elevating the site by up to 18 feet to ensure safety.

The initial Unicoi County Hospital, constructed in 2018 along the Nolichucky River, succumbed to massive flooding during Hurricane Helene when water reached depths of up to 12 feet. In a perilous evacuation, helicopters rescued 70 individuals from the hospital roof amid rising waters.

Community Reactions and Future Precautions

Despite apprehensions about building in a flood-prone area, local officials like Tennessee state Rep. Renea Jones have supported the reconstruction. Reports indicated that the land for the new site will be purchased from Jones’s family.

However, community members, including Angel Mitchell, a survivor of the 2024 disaster, express concerns about the decision to rebuild in such a potentially hazardous location. Mitchell, who was airlifted to safety during the flood, emphasized the anxiety of returning to a site vulnerable to future disasters.

Ballad Health, which oversees Unicoi and 19 other hospitals in Tennessee and Virginia, remains committed to ensuring healthcare accessibility despite the inherent risks. For the residents of Unicoi County and beyond, the hospital represents more than just physical infrastructure but a critical component of community well-being and health resources.