Emergency rooms stay busy as Hurricane Ian clean up efforts continue

BRADENTON, Fla. - Emergency rooms are staying busy as people get injured while cleaning up debris from Hurricane Ian. With post-storm clean up's underway, many residents want to clear it out, but it's important to know your limits. 

Dr. Scott Selph with HCA Florida Blake Hospital said emergency rooms are working hard around the clock since Hurricane Ian left a mess that thousands of people are trying to clean up. 

"People are outside doing more things, trying to clean up debris and have a respiratory condition, don't have power, more heat exhaustion, more patients coming in for not drinking enough water," Selph said. 

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Selph is the heads up emergency medicine at several HCA Florida hospitals, including the one in Bradenton where patients from even harder hit areas to the south end up. He said the ER in Bradenton is at least 15-20% busier in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

He said trying to clean up after the storm not only poses a physical risk, but a mental toll as well. 

"I would say we are seeing a lot more anxiety," Selph said. "I would really stress for all of us to be a lot more in tune to our patients, because there are people who are depressed at risk of harming themselves right now, so I think we need to be aware of that as well."

Selph said to clear the debris, some try and push past both their skill sets, and their physical limits. Many of the injuries doctors are seeing are from chain saws, and people cleaning up using ladders. People are getting cut, breaking bones and having heart attacks. 

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Selph urged people to know their limitations, drink plenty of water and ask for help.