Weathering the Storm: How Superstorm Sandy Shaped the Response to COVID-19.

ABSTRACT

Catastrophic weather, like a pandemic, can wreak havoc on hospital operations. NYU Langone Health in New York City has experienced the extremes of both phenomena. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy severely damaged the system's core facilities, disabled operations, and forced the evacuation of more than 220 patients to other health systems. In 2020, the arrival of the novel coronavirus severely disrupted operations again-but this time, we were better prepared. Our experience in dealing with Superstorm Sandy taught us critical lessons that supported our readiness for COVID-19. Those lessons can be summed up as preparation, organization, and innovation.