Hurricane Harvey: Babies From Corpus Christi NICU Transported To Cook Children's Hospital

FORT WORTH, TX — As Hurricane Harvey is set to make a landfall on the Texas coastline late Friday, newborns in the NICU at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi were evacuated to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth.

A voluntary evacuation order has been issued for Corpus Christi, which is in the path of the category 3 hurricane.

Cook Children's Hospital said 10 babies were brought to the hospital's level four NICU Friday morning. The babies were transported throughout the evening and early morning through an effort that involved four planes from three different hospitals. The hospital said the babies were transported throughout the night and it took a total of 18 hours to transport all 10 babies.

For Patch's full hurricane coverage, see: Hurricane Harvey Now A Category 3 Storm At 'Life-threatening' Strength

See Also: Harvey Could Be The Strongest Hurricane To Hit The US Since 2005

"Level IV is the highest ranking a NICU can receive, meeting stringent requirements, especially in the areas of advanced medicine and quality of care," the hospital said in a statement.

Parents were not able to travel with their babies and had to arrange their own transportation because of the "complex nature of the patients and the equipment and staff needed in the planes." Once parents arrive, they will be in a private room with their baby.

The hospital said its case management team is working with the families to meet their emergent needs like food, lodging and transportation and provided a page for anyone who wishes to make monetary donations to the families.

Image via Cook Children's Hospital