The Mercy Health Love County hospital building in Marietta is officially coming down. Hospital leaders say the facility, heavily damaged in the April 27, 2024 tornado, was declared a public danger this week, clearing the way for demolition and a federally backed rebuild after administrators concluded the structure is beyond repair. They say the move is meant to speed work to bring full acute‑care services back to the community.
Hospital officials told KXII the building has to be rebuilt rather than patched together, and that the public‑danger designation should help unlock federal assistance for both demolition and reconstruction. The station reported the demolition phase alone is expected to cost about $500,000, according to the hospital administrator.
Funding And Next Steps
According to KTEN, the hospital administrator said FEMA is expected to cover roughly 75 percent of the overall project cost, with the hospital picking up about 25 percent. Officials told KTEN that FEMA will help tear down the unsafe structure and assist in constructing a new facility on the same site.
How The Campus Was Hit
Mercy Health Love County's site documents how an EF‑4 tornado struck the hospital campus on April 27, 2024, leaving the main building vacant while other campus structures were repaired. The hospital reports that a temporary emergency room later reopened on campus in September 2025.
Catholic Health World reported that during the storm, staff moved patients into storm shelters and that no one inside the facility was injured.
What Patients And The Community Can Expect
Local leaders say restoring full acute care is the top priority for Love County, and officials told KXII the replacement hospital will likely be rebuilt on the same footprint, with upgraded storm protections and modernized systems. County officials added that the public‑danger designation should speed design and funding work, though exact timelines will still depend on how quickly FEMA completes its review and contracting.
The hospital administrator told KTEN that there is not yet a firm timetable for demolition or rebuilding. Officials said they plan to share more detailed plans once FEMA finishes its review and funding approvals.
