Investigation: 170 U.S. hospitals face extreme flood risk; FEMA maps underestimate exposure
A KFF Health News analysis found at least 170 U.S. hospitals face severe flood risk, and many of those facilities lie outside FEMA’s mapped flood zones, suggesting official maps underestimate exposure. CBS on‑the‑ground reporting — including video by David Schechter — documents the loss of a Unicoi County, Tennessee hospital during Hurricane Helene to illustrate the real‑world consequences and systemic vulnerabilities in hospital siting and emergency readiness.
Health
Environment
Climate
📌 Key Facts
- KFF Health News' analysis, reported with CBS News, identified at least 170 U.S. hospitals facing severe or extreme flood risk, many of which lie outside FEMA's mapped flood zones.
- CBS News produced on‑the‑ground video reporting for the investigation, featuring correspondent David Schecter, and packaged the findings for broadcast audiences.
- The report includes a concrete case study: a Unicoi County, Tennessee hospital was destroyed by severe flooding during Hurricane Helene, shown in the CBS video.
- The Tennessee hospital loss is used to illustrate the real‑world consequences of the KFF/CBS risk findings and to anchor the investigation in a local example.
- The investigation uses the hospital loss to highlight systemic vulnerabilities in hospital siting, flood exposure assessment, and emergency readiness.
📰 Sources (3)
Dozens of U.S. hospitals at risk for flooding
New information:
- Provides on‑the‑ground case study: Unicoi County, Tennessee hospital was lost to severe flooding during Hurricane Helene, which anchors the investigation in a concrete local example.
- Identifies and packages findings into a CBS News video report featuring correspondent David Schecter, making the investigation consumable for broadcast audiences.
- Uses the Hurricane Helene hospital loss to illustrate systemic vulnerabilities in hospital siting, flood exposure and emergency readiness.
Investigation shows 170 U.S. hospitals at risk of extreme flooding
New information:
- CBS News produced on‑the‑ground video reporting (reporter David Schechter) showing a Tennessee hospital destroyed during Hurricane Helene.
- Visual, local reporting that illustrates consequences of the KFF/CBS risk findings (damage example from Tennessee).
- The report reiterates KFF Health News' quantified finding: at least 170 U.S. hospitals identified as facing severe flood risk and many located outside FEMA's mapped flood zones.