"It all came together in exactly the right way": Minnesota families welcome blizzard babies

[WCCO-TV, February 23, 2023] "For me, I said what better thing to do in a storm than have a baby," Micah Trautman, a new mom to baby boy Hudson, told WCCO.

Micah and her husband, Adam, arrived at the Birth Center at Owatonna Hospital on Tuesday night for a pre-scheduled induction, and the short drive from their house was not an easy one. 

"I remember the first stop sign right outside our house, I skidded through it," Adam Trautman recalled.

"I was thinking who's going to be on staff and who's going to be there to support us because we're first-time parents," Adam added. "Everyone here was amazing."

Helen Strike, who co-led Allina Health's storm preparations explained that hospitals made plans to ensure care throughout the storm.

"We learned an awful lot from hospitals in hurricanes and tornadoes and how do hospitals last without power for seven to 10 days," said Strike. "It's okay maybe for one shift to try and handle things internally, but when it's two to three shifts in a row that means we have to have forward planning."