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Milton could bring a record-breaking storm surge to the Tampa Bay area. Six to nine feet of storm surge is forecast for the Tampa Bay area.

The hospital said Tuesday it had completed assembly of its flood barrier ahead of Milton \"to protect vulnerable areas of the campus against storm surge and flooding.\"

\"PHOTO:
Octavio Jones/Reuters
PHOTO: A view shows an AquaFence barrier at Tampa General Hospital, as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 9, 2024.
>

\"While AquaFence has proven effective in the past, it is just the first line of defense and one of many mitigation efforts we've implemented this week to safely continue care for our patients,\" Jennifer Crabtree, chief of staff at Tampa General, said in a statement to ABC Orlando affiliate WFTV.

The barrier is intended to protect the infrastructure of the first floor of the hospital, which does not have any clinical areas, Crabtree told NBC Orlando affiliate WESH.

It can withstand up to 130 mph winds, with an additional support strap added on one side of the fence to provide additional support in high winds, she told the station.

\"PHOTO:
Octavio Jones/Reuters
PHOTO: People transit in a vehicle next to an AquaFence barrier at Tampa General Hospital, as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 9, 2024.
>

Other measures to help sustain hospital operations during the storm include an on-site water source, in the event that water service is disrupted, and an on-site energy plant located 33 feet above sea level that is built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane, the hospital said. The hospital said it has also stocked up on more than five days of supplies, including food and linens, and more than 5,000 gallons of water.

Tampa Bay, and many areas across the surrounding peninsula, are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes since these regions have not been hit with a major hurricane in decades.

Hospital systems in the region have invested in flood mitigation, hardening their facilities and moving electrical equipment to levels to protect against flooding, according to Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association.

“Flooding is such a huge concern,\" Mayhew told ABC News. \"And now, on the heels of Helene, where we have debris that is, strewn up and down the Gulf Coast, drains are plugged, they're filled with sand.\"

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