As Hurricane Ian batters the Florida coastline, people are taking to social media to praise healthcare and emergency service workers during the crisis.
The storm - which peaked at a category four system yesterday - has been wreaking havoc ever since it made landfall on Wednesday afternoon (September 28). Since then, deadly winds of up to 150mph and surge floods have destroyed buildings and left over two million homes without electricity.
Meanwhile, hospital's have been among the worst affected sites in the area. Per BBC News, the roof was ripped off an ICU ward at a hospital in Port Charlotte.
Dr. Brigit Bodine told outlets that they also had to evacuate patients in the lower levels of the hospital, as whole floors flooded with water.
"For us, as much as everything is terrible and we’re exhausted... as long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, that’s what matters," she told The Washington Post.
On social media, videos of water pouring into hospitals have gone viral. In one clip, a healthcare worker can be seen wading through flood water in a hospital corridor.
Another video shows water cascading into a rapidly flooding hospital stairwell, alongside a caption that explains "160 ICU patients" are trapped inside.
The terrifying footage has prompted many to take to social media in praise of Florida healthcare workers who continue to help the most vulnerable throughout the hurricane.
"God Bless all the first responders, emergency services providers, and linemen who are riding out the hurricane to be on the front lines saving lives and rebuilding those hit by the hurricane," one person tweeted.
"All the doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, linemen, etc. are SO brave to be working during the hurricane in FL, I would quit my job that very day," another wrote, while a third chimed in: "S/o to all the nurses, doctors, NA’s, and staff for working during this hurricane."
"Sending out love to all of the healthcare providers, responders, and essential employees that are working and away from their families during Hurricane Ian," a fourth added.
"Thinking of healthcare workers in the path of #HurricaneIan who are working in unimaginable conditions," tweeted a fifth.
