A tornado damages Avera Heart Hospital

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (KTIV) – Avera Heart Hospital, near 69th, and Louise, near Interstate 229, were hit hard by tornadoes on Tuesday night.

Damaged door windows and broken windows litter the hospital floor.

At the behavioral health hospital, about 50 patients had to be transported because of the damage done.

30 of them were transported to Yankton, where the staff who cared for them accompanied them.

"A tornado has arrived on our campus and has damaged much of our roof and many windows," said Mick Gibbs, general manager of Avera Heart Hospital.

Broken glass, torn panels and street lights – the tornado had no mercy for the Avera hospital.

"More than 100 windows have been broken," Gibbs said. "And some damage on the roof, even if it's not so much that we compromise the structural integrity of the hospital."

But as soon as it was safe, the teams got to work on boarding and cleaning.

"We had an Incident Command Team that met our infrastructure needs and ensured we could resume operations the next morning," Gibbs said. "The teams spent all night standing up to prepare what could be a patient volume the next day."

The main goal is to bring the hospital back to where it should be for its patients.

"We will be operational again in a short time," adds Gibbs. "By the end of this week, we expect our hospital will be running at full capacity. Early next week, our clinic will be operational again. "

One thing that remains unshakeable in the hearts of all who live here in Sioux Falls is their faith.