How are Local Hospitals Operating Without Water? [VIDEO]

Brian Crawford explains how Willis Knighton and other area hospitals are operating in the wake of the storm, most still without running water.

"All the administrators and the nurses and the doctors, all the people in the Willis Knighton Health System have done whatever they've been called on to do in this time of crisis," Crawford begins, explaining how WK employees have been using their own vehicles to pick up medical staff stranded in their homes by the storm. "Right now, the biggest issue we're dealing with is...no water at Willis Knighton South, North and Pierremont. Willis Knighton in Bossier is our only facility that has any water pressure to speak of. And (all area hospitals) are in the same boat on this issue."

And what's the answer, short term, at least. "We've been working with the City of Shreveport and Mayor Perkins, Mayor Walker in Bossier, the Governor's Office, Homeland Security and the Louisiana Department of Hospitals, plus a number of private entities have stepped up, supplying tankers for our facilities...so we have heat and cooling in areas that have to be cooled.

"The potable water issue...is a bigger challenge, using snow and other water to manually flush toilets, for cooking purposes, washing, sterilization and a number of therapies. Music Mountain has...provided thousands of bottles of water, the National Guard is coming up with tankers. It's an unprecedented weather event. We're doing everything we can and we're all doing whatever we have to do."