Duke sets up mobile hospital after pipe bursts, flooding ER

Parts of Duke University Hospital flooded on Friday morning from a pipe burst.
Posted 12/27/2024, 9:40:00 AM Updated 12/27/2024, 9:10:37 PM

THAT CITY PATTERSON, WRAL, NEWS

LIVE IN FAYETTEVILLE.

>> IT'S HEARTBREAKING. ALSO

BREAKING WITHIN THE LAST 30

MINUTES, THIS DUKE UNIVERSITY

IS SETTING UP A MOBILE HOSPITAL

AFTER FLOODING RIPPED THROUGH

THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

WRAL'S. LIZ MCLAUGHLIN IS LIVE

IN DURHAM AND LIVES RIGHT NOW.

THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS

THAT WE STILL HAVE TO ASK ABOUT

THIS. WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE

HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW?

>> JULIAN, THEY'RE STILL

SETTING THIS ALL UP. BUT YOU

CAN SEE THIS TENT BEHIND ME,

THE TRAILER. THERE'S GOING TO

BE 10 BEDS, 3 SWEETS AND 48

FEET OF TENDING WITH HEATING

AND OTHER AIR CONTROLS. THE

GOAL HERE IS TO SEE PATIENTS

SOONER BECAUSE DIVERTING

PATIENTS RIGHT NOW IS PUTTING

A STRAIN ON AREA HOSPITALS

>> THIS VIDEO SHOWS WATER

RUSHING THROUGH DUKE'S

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OVERNIGHT.

SOME CLIMBING ON SHARES.

EMPLOYEES WADING THROUGH WATER.

PATIENTS BEING TREATED HAD TO

BE MOVED IN. AMBULANCES

DIVERTED TO OTHER FACILITIES.

TOLD VERSION IS INCREDIBLY

RARE. GORDON SMITH IS AN

INTERIM CHIEF PARAMEDIC FOR

DURHAM COUNTY EMS AND SAYS A

LARGE PORTION OF PATIENTS.

THEY TRANSPORT ARE TYPICALLY

SENT TO DUKE.

>> WE'RE BUSY AS USUAL, BUT

WITH THE INCREASED DEMAND AND

THE OTHER LOCAL HOSPITALS THAT

IS THAT'S PUTTING A HUGE STRAIN

ON THEM AS WELL AS THE LOCAL

EMS HOSPITAL WAIT TIMES AND

9-1-1. RESPONSE TIMES COULD

BE LONGER AS A RESULT. 2 WILL

BE USING DURHAM REGIONAL.

>> THE UNC SYSTEM IN CHAPEL

HILL AND HILLSBORO.

>> AS WELL AS THE WAIT LIST,

DUKE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY

REPAIRS ARE UNDERWAY BUT THEY

DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'LL BE

COMPLETE FOR THE ER TO REOPEN.

EMPLOYEES ARE HOPEFUL NORMAL

OPERATIONS WILL RESUME SOON.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT KIND

OF STEPPED IN TO POSITIONS TO

HELP OUT WHEN THINGS ARE LIKE

HERE LIKE THIS HAPPENED HERE

AT YOU. SO.

>> I DON'T SEE THAT THIS WOULD

BE LIKE AN ISSUE THAT WILL

CARRY ON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

>> LUCKILY, THE FLOODING DIDN'T

IMPACT INPATIENT AREAS OF THE

HOSPITAL. BUT FOR NOW, DUKE

OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGING ANY

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO NEED

EMERGENCY CARE TO GO TO OTHER

AREA HOSPITALS OR URGENT CARE

© WRAL