Mercy Is Building Safer, Tornado-Resistant Hospitals

FESTUS, MISSOURI — Mercy's new hospitals will be stronger, safer and better able to stand up to tornadoes and other severe weather, St. Louis Public Radio reports.

Seven years after a catastrophic F-5 tornado hit Joplin Missouri, killing 158 people and injuring more than 1,000 — including six people at St. John's Hospital (now Mercy Hospital Joplin) — the health system says it is a key mission to builder safer hospitals across Tornado Alley.

Mercy has hospitals in four states, including Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Mercy recently added a new wing to its hospital in Festus using more storm-resistant materials, such as virtually "bulletproof" safety glass windows that can withstand high winds, and incorporating reinforced stairwells and backup generators into the building plan.

Hospitals are often unable to evacuate patients during extreme weather, so building them to withstand floods, high winds and power loss is essential, experts say.

Backup generators are needed for patients on ventilators and other life support systems, while reinforced stairwells provide a way to move patients when elevators stop working and a place to shelter until the storm passes.

Read more from St. Louis Public Radio.

Image via Shutterstock