While the public's attention is on Hurricane Milton's destructive path across Florida this week, some analysts are raising concerns based on new data from Hurricane Helene's severe impact on southern Appalachia just two weeks prior. Healthcare improvement company Premier Inc. (NYSE: PINC) released survey data on Thursday indicating that over 86% of U.S. healthcare providers nationwide are currently facing IV fluid shortages following Hurricane Helene. The report from Premier stated that the IV fluid supply was first disrupted when Baxter International's North Cove facility in North Carolina sustained damage from Hurricane Helene. Baxter (NYSE: BAX) is the leading manufacturer of IV fluids in the U.S., holding over 60% of the market share. A press release issued by Baxter on Wednesday provided an update on the facility, confirming it was damaged by flooding from Hurricane Helene. The company operates six other manufacturing sites across North America. The release stated, "As previously communicated, Baxter is pursuing several strategies to ensure we are effectively managing inventory and minimizing disruptions to patient care while we work to fully restore our North Cove manufacturing operations. This includes implementing allocations, which restrict customer orders based on historical purchasing patterns and medical necessity, as well as available and projected inventory. Allocations help prevent stockpilin