SUFFOLK, Va. – On April 28, the residents of southeastern Virginia experienced a rarity in their area – a tornado. Linda Glasson, security manager for Sentara Obici Hospital, learned of the tornado literally five minutes before it swept through the town.
Although the hospital has experienced hurricanes in the past, the tornado was new territory for hospital staff. Glasson and her team had to work fast, as one official saw the twister approaching through one of the windows at the facility. Once the threat was known, the hospital staff immediately began moving individuals away from windows and doors. “We were very fortunate,” says Glasson. “We had minor damage here. We had a few cracked windows, but we were fully operational.”
While the hospital experienced minor damage, the same could not be said for adjacent areas. “The neighborhood around us, especially on our south side, experienced significant damage,” Glasson reveals. Luckily, those who were victims of the tornado were able to receive treatment at the hospital as officials decided to keep the hospital open.
Once it was determined that it was safe to go outside, the team went out into the parking lot to check for injuries. There weren’t any in the parking lot; however, around 70 people who were directed to the facility were treated.
Despite the circumstances, the security manager says patients, visitors and staff were fairly calm. In fact, Glasson offers this advice to other officials who may experience a tornado or any type of natural disaster, “Know your emergency ops plans. When an emergency strikes, that is not the time to flip through your manual.”
