Tropical Depression Imelda has wreaked havoc on the southern United States over the last week, specifically Texas. A tweet from the National Weather Service Houston says that this is the seventh wettest tropical cyclone on record for the U.S., and the fourth wettest tropical cyclone in Texas. The New York Times reports that there have been five known deaths so far. As floodwaters recede, it is possible that number will rise. Among those areas of Texas most affected by Imelda is Beaumont, Texas, a town about an hour and a half northeast of Houston. In one week, Jefferson County received an estimated 43 inches of rain. To put that into perspective, U.S. Climate Data lists roughly 60 inches of rain as the average annual precipitation level in Beaumont. That is almost 72% of Beaumont’s annual rainfall in a matter of a few days.
Source: CHRISTUS St. Michael Facebook page
While many public and private institutions struggle during tropical storms and hurricanes, hospitals and other healthcare facilities often among those hit hardest. Due to a large and sudden influx of patients and limited resources, hospitals need all the help they can get. On the evening of Thursday, September 19, a group of registered nurses from CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana traveled to Beaumont to provide assistance in the Intensive Care and Telemetry Units at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital. St. Elizabeth and St. Michael both belong to the CHRISTUS Hospital System, where it isn’t uncommon for staff from one hospital to support another hospital in the system. Within a couple of hours, the thirteen volunteers were packed and ready to go, despite not knowing that they would even have a place to sleep. According to Google Maps, the trip from Texarkana to Beaumont takes about four and a half hours. The CHRISTUS St. Michael Facebook page posted an update on the group around noon on Friday, September 20. They arrived safely in Beaumont around 1:30 that morning and quickly went to work. These incredible nurses saw a need and they filled it, completely voluntarily.
Source: CHRISTUS St. Michael Facebook page
After leaving Beaumont on Monday morning, the group arrived safely back in Texarkana later that day. They received a hero’s welcome, as fellow St. Michael staff members and leaders lined up at the entrance to greet them with hugs and smiles.