SALISBURY — During a torrential downpour Wednesday evening when city streets were washed out with floodwaters, the staff at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center was working to figure out how to continue to serve patients 4 four inches of rainwater in its hallways.

Hospital President Dari Caldwell said the flooding occurred at the entrance of Wilson L. Smith Outpatient Center, located on Mocksville Avenue.

“It flooded into the Wilson L. Smith entrance, the lobby area and continued down the hallways into our pre-op area, our operating rooms, our MRI area, our endoscopy suites, down into the lobby and into the cafeteria,” Caldwell said.

She said the water left quite a mess.

The hospital remains open, but all elective surgeries were postponed because of the damage.

Caldwell said the hospital contacted Restoration Plus Services Inc. in Salisbury on Wednesday evening. The company helped remove the water and dry the area. She said the hope is that the hospital will be “back to normal” on Monday.

Caldwell said the hospital will need to replace some drywall and then sanitize the area.

“If all goes well and we don’t have additional flooding, which we’re taking some precautions with more sandbagging, we expect to be back and operating as usual by Monday,” Caldwell said.

Patients can use other entrances including the emergency room on Confederate Avenue.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.