Hurricane helene

As Hurricane Milton looms, an evacuation order was issued Sunday in Pinellas County, Florida, (cities which include St. Petersburg and Clearwater) leading to the suspension of services for 44 assisted living facilities, 25 nursing homes, and an estimated 6,000 patients according to ABC News.

The order indicated the county’s high likelihood in being directly in the path of the storm’s intended direction, which is expected to hit land on Wednesday. Additional facilities north of Pinellas County have followed suit with evacuations, including Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey. For facilities that haven’t evacuated, many non-essential procedures schedules initially planned for Wednesday have been postponed for at least one day, with Thursday a looming possibility for cancellation as well.

In addition to facilities, nearby ambulatory surgery centers, laboratories, and behavioral health outpatient sites will be closed for both Wednesday and Thursday.

As of Monday, Hurricane Milton has been categorized as a Category 5 hurricane with high chances of flooding in many of Florida’s west central coast communities. Storm winds are anticipated to be up to 175 miles per hour.

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