12 Die at Florida Nursing Home After Irma, Leaving A Host Of Questions

NPR

Eight residents of Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, Fla., died after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility’s air conditioning unit. The administrator, Jorge Carballo, said they had seven days of food, water, ice and other supplies, including gas for the generator. Still, without air conditioning, the elderly patients became vulnerable to Florida’s heat and humidity. It remained unclear how much time elapsed between when the air conditioner failed and when the first call to 911 was placed, as well as how hot it got inside the home, among other questions. 

The Hollywood Police Department was granted a search warrant for the property, and both the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and Department of Children and Families are investigating the deaths. Police said 145 patients were sent across the street to Memorial Regional Hospital, and Gov. Rick Scott ordered an immediate moratorium to prevent the facility from receiving any patients. 

The tragic deaths prompted Florida authorities to check on other assisted living facilities and evacuate them if they lost power. You can read the full article here.