Based on the non-fiction of the same name by Sheri Fink, the show tells the story of an exhausted paramedic at a hospital in New Orleans who are forced to make heartbreaking decisions after a storm.　　In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's sweep through New Orleans, New Orle Memorial Medical Center was hit by flooding, power outages, and soaring temperatures, and medical staff were forced to make choices that would plague them for years to come. The hospital eventually had 40 deceased, some of whom were deemed unable to survive and were euthanized.