During Friday night’s storm activity, straight-line winds caused a significant amount of damage on the north side of Mountain Home, and the most notable damage was at Hiram Shaddox Geriatric Health and Rehab. Wind speeds peaked at 85-to-90 miles per hour causing the roof at the nursing facility to collapse, and as a result, patients had to be evacuated that night to other local facilities including Baxter Regional Medical Center.
Hiram Shaddox administrator Ben Worlow says he arrived at the facility approximately a minute after the storm hit, and he says it was a scary moment in the beginning for patients and staff.
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Worlow says it wasn’t easy to keep everyone safe during the dangerous situation, but the staff was prepared to do its part.
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Fortunately, no one at Hiram Shaddox suffered any injuries. Worlow says that was partly a result of teamwork by the staff, but there was also some luck involved.
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Since the storm went through, Hiram Shaddox has been undergoing the cleanup process. Worlow says there has been a lot of work by him and his crew over a two-and-a-half-day period.
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Worlow says he is not aware of any conversations on the future of Hiram Shaddox. His main focus is getting the patients comfortable in the facilities they are currently residing in.
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