Is the Mass. hospital system prepared to deal with extreme weather caused by climate change?

Communities across the Southeast are still cleaning up three weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall. The Category 4 hurricane killed more than 200 people across North Carolina and other states, and it caused billions of dollars in damages.

One of the buildings damaged was a facility that supplies about 60% of the nation’s IV fluid, including to local hospital within the Mass General Brigham system. The hospital system delayed elective surgery for a few days last week, while other hospitals are still rationing supplies and delaying their procedures across the country.

This isn’t the first time hospitals have faced this type of shortage; it happened in 2017 after Hurricane Maria. And experts warn we should expect stronger storms like these more often thanks to a warming planet.

Radio Boston take a look at health care system readiness in Massachusetts and nationwide amid climate change.

This segment aired on October 25, 2024.