TAMPA — The barrier stands between 5 and 10 feet high. It's sealed to the ground, secured with metal anchors and completely surrounds the grounds of Tampa General Hospital. The AquaFence, as it's known, looks similar to the barricades that stand at construction sites. It acts as a kind of force field, designed to protect the hospital — the region's only Level 1 trauma center — from storm surge and flooding. Personnel at Tampa General worked Tuesday and Wednesday to install the AquaFence along the hospital's perimeter as Hurricane Helene barreled toward Florida. It was one of many measures Tampa Bay area hospitals took to ensure they can keep treating patients amid impacts from the storm.
