Hurricane Irma

Nursing homes are required to have emergency plans and have staff practice evacuations, but many fail to meet even those basic requirements.

Many Nursing Homes Aren't Prepared For Even Basic Emergencies

2:10pm September 19, 2017

by Jordan Rau

The deaths of eight residents in a Florida nursing home showed how even seemingly mundane things like failing to maintain climate control can be deadly. Emergency preparation enforcement can be lax.

One of many medical vans heads to the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in south Florida to evacuate patients last week after a power outage.

When Irma Arrived, Most Florida Health Care Facilities Were Ready

5:13am September 19, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Eight deaths at a Florida nursing home got a lot of media attention. But a tour of other health care centers in the Miami area found mostly good care after Hurricane Irma struck.

Nancy and Christian Schneider live in the Holly Lake Mobile Home park, where they haven't had electricity in their home since Hurricane Irma struck Florida over a week ago.

National

A Week After Irma, Florida Families Still Living In The Dark

5:29pm September 18, 2017

by Elissa Nadworny

"You don't realize until you lose electricity that [it] basically runs your life," says one resident who is most worried about the oppressive heat. "It's like living in the 1700s."

Evacuees at a special needs shelter sit and chat or rest, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, at Florida International University in Miami, Fla. About 30 people, including staff with the Florida Keys Outreach Coalition for the Homeless from Key West, Fla., were she

National

Miami Hurricane Shelter Still Packed - With People And Pets

9:08am September 17, 2017

by Neda Ulaby

Even as Miami returns to normal, an emergency shelter continues to take in people every day.

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Greg Gatscher, left, and his son, Evan, prepare the house for Hurricane Irma. Little did they know these metal shutters would later become a cooktop.

National

Grilled Cheese Cooked On Shutters? After Irma, Floridians Got Creative With Food

7:00am September 16, 2017

by Wynne Davis

People get hungry during natural disasters, and processed, pre-packaged food can get old fast. But with a little imagination, some folks managed to make themselves some surprisingly good hot meals.

A Houston resident walks through waist-deep water while evacuating her home after severe flooding following Hurricane Harvey in north Houston.

After Hurricane Katrina, Many People Found New Strength

5:22pm September 15, 2017

A long-term study of people who survived Hurricane Katrina found that most were doing well, and some feel the experience transformed them. But others remain haunted by anxiety and depression.

Police surround the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, which had no air conditioning after Hurricane Irma knocked out a transformer, in Hollywood, Fla.

Florida Nursing Home Case: Many Questions, And Few Answers, After 8 Patients Die

8:45pm September 14, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills never lost power — but a transformer that drove its air conditioning unit was knocked out, leaving residents vulnerable to the heat and humidity.

The sun glares down on a severely damaged apartment unit in a St. Thomas high-rise on Tuesday. Many residents say they lost everything to the Category 5 storm, and days later they're still grappling with how to respond to the rampant destruction.

The Virgin Islands, After Irma: 'It Was Like Stepping Onto Another Planet'

5:28pm September 14, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

In the U.S. and British territories, residents tell of winds that could rattle your bones — and of an aftermath like a "war zone." Here are portraits of the devastation, in the survivors' own words.

Evacuations were ordered in the Tampa Bay area but it was largely spared the expected damage from Hurricane Irma.

National

Getting Through Irma On Little Gas And A Lot Of Luck

12:55pm September 14, 2017

by Eric Deggans

NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans finds that planning for a hurricane is often like writing a message on a sandy shore — the plan never lasts long.

Police said that three people were dead when officers arrived at The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood Fla., and that five others died later.

National

At Least 8 Dead At Florida Nursing Home After Irma

8:02pm September 13, 2017

by Jason Slotkin

Police in Hollywood, Fla., confirmed they are investigating the deaths. The facility may have been without air conditioning following the storm, according to multiple news reports.