Fort Stockton Pioneer
By Richard Nelson, Pioneer Publisher/Editor

Hospital continues repairs after hail, water damage

The county is still working on a final total for the damage caused by the April 4 hail storm and flood. Meanwhile, workers are busy getting some county entities back up to speed.

One such entity is Pecos County Memorial Hospital, which sustained heavy damage the morning of the storm.

"The hospital had a lot of damage from the heavy rain and hail. Almost every exterior wall has had to be treated for water damage," said Russell Tippin, hospital CEO.

Included in the damage was the emergency room, ambulance entrance, all three birthing rooms, as well as the hospital's auxiliary's gift shop area.

"Repairs range from simply replacing ceiling tiles to removing and replacing sheetrock and insulation and carpet and tile," Tippin said. "Our lab and x-ray both took heavy hits with water coming in through the walls and the ceiling."

Tippin said the birthing rooms are being repaired one at a time, so they are not out of commission altogether.

"We can't be at full capacity, but everything is going pretty smooth, considering," Tippin said.

He said he wanted to commend the hospital staff for their work during the storm and its aftermath.

"We had to call back all the department heads. Some had people in from out of town who volunteered to help us," Tippin said. "We were using shop vacs, pillows, blankets, anything to try to suck up the water before it caused any more damage."

Pecos County Auditor Charlotte Carey said the county's insurance carries a $5,000 deductible per occurrence. The county does not carry flood insurance, but any damage covered by roof leaks will be covered, she said.