Hollywood, Fla.
Nursing home deaths: Police and state agencies were this week investigating the deaths of nine elderly patients who died when their nursing home became dangerously overheated during power outages caused by Hurricane Irma. With temperatures outside in the 90s, temperatures inside the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills soared after power to the facility was cut and portable air coolers failed. Executives for the nursing home said they repeatedly reached out to Florida Gov. Rick Scott as well as to the local power company, and were assured help was on the way. But after three days in the stifling heat, patients ranging in age from 71 to 99 began dying. Scott has defended his response, accusing the facility of “fail[ing] to do its basic duty to protect life” and being too slow to evacuate patients to a nearby hospital. He also announced new rules requiring nursing homes to have generators capable of maintaining comfortable temperatures for at least 96 hours in the event of a power loss.