As Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast the evening of October 9, a deluge of rain ruptured the city of St. Petersburg’s water main lines. The damage meant that some hospitals in the area—including one with a large neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)—were temporarily cut off from public water.
Jason Weida, secretary of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), knew access to water could be an issue after Milton. Hurricanes can affect the water supply in a few different ways. They can cause infrastructure damage, like in St. Petersburg. They can knock out power at water treatment plants, leading to untreated or undertreated water. And stormwater runoff