Worst tornadoes in years: how hospitals fared; critical lessons learned.

Tornado warnings have not been uncommon in many areas of the country this year and when twisters touch down, they can be extremely deadly. When tornadoes swept through Florida's Osceola County in late February, they caused 38 deaths and wide-spread damage. In April, tornadoes caused a number of deaths and considerable damage in Nashville, TN; Birmingham, AL; and Gainesville, GA. Hospitals in those areas that bore the brunt of treatment of victims activated disaster plans. This report relates their experiences and the lessons learned from them.