Hospitals prepare for Earl

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) - Hospitals on the South Side and the Peninsula are preparing for Hurricane Earl with evacuating some patients and stocking up on supplies.

Some patients at the Hampton VA hospital were moved to other hospitals on Wednesday afternoon as a precaution. Administrators at the VA hospital are concerned about possible flooding in parts of the hospital. They are moving those patients that would be too difficult to move in a state of emergency.

In addition, the other hospitals on the South Side and Peninsula are preparing the same way people should be preparing at home, but on a much larger scale. Sentara Norfolk General showed WAVY.com a room stocked with plywood, generators and bottled water. They had six permanent generators and several portables. Administrators said its enough to power 10,000 homes. They also have enough food to feed 10,000 people. More precisely, they can feed 3,000 people, including patients and staff, for at least four days.

All Hampton Roads hospitals also have medical supplies stockpiled, and emergency plans they practice regularly.

The streets surrounding Norfolk General turned into a moat during the last Nor'easter, which trapped some staff and others inside the hospital.

Sentara Administrator Joe Butz said plans changed after that. "We perfected that plan using our social media, Facebook and Twitter to make sure we've got communication to our staff and our physicians on how to access the hospital," said Butz.

If the hurricane hits, hospitals will cancel elective surgeries, and may reschedule cancel cancer treatments. They can not provide outpatient dialysis or accommodate home-based ventilator patients.

Hospital officials said to make sure you have everything you need now, including prescription medications.