‘Grey’s Anatomy’: A Natural Disaster Rains Down in Season 9 Finale

A natural disaster is heading straight for Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital on ABC's Grey's Anatomy

After several cryptic tweets from showrunner Shonda Rhimes, sources close to the ABC medical drama tell The Hollywood Reporter that the season nine finale will feature a superstorm.

The natural disaster will begin in the penultimate episode of the season -- titled "Readiness Is All" -- set for May 9, with the storm hitting full force in the May 16 finale, fittingly titled "Perfect Storm." The superstorm will affect the recently renamed hospital and cause its staff to go into crisis mode in an hour that is being described as very intense with a lot of "major" things changing for the characters in the final two episodes of the season.

PHOTOS: The Couples of Shondaland: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Private Practice,' 'Scandal'

Rhimes has said the Grey's writing staff made some "very bold [and] shocking decisions" with the finale following "very intense discussions."

"I warned you about the GA finale so you could brace yourself," Rhimes recently wrote. "Hug a friend."

A "superstorm" describes unusually destructive storms that typically include cyclones. The term was used to describe the 1993 Storm of the Century and most recently 2012's Hurricane Sandy, the latter of which was the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

 The season nine finale plan comes after a season that began with the loss of Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), who became the second casualty of deadly plane crash featured in the season eight finale. This year, the survivors have faced an uphill battle as they battled PTSD, lost limbs and loved ones.

Previous finales have included the first appearance of Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) estranged wife Addison (Kate Walsh); Denny's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) death; George's (T.R. Knight) shocking bus crash; and the heart-stopping hospital shooter, among others.

What do you think of the season nine finale plan? Hit the comments with your thoughts. Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday for the first of its final four episodes of the season at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit

Lesley Goldberg