Hurricane Florence

Beginning September 14, 2018, Hurricane Florence inundated North and South Carolina with record-setting rain—as much as 35 inches in some areas. The storm lost its hurricane-strength winds the same day it made landfall but, moving at just 2 or 3 mph, its unremitting rain caused rivers to overspill their banks and flood roads, cutting off entire communities. At one point, the only way to reach Wilmington, North Carolina, was by air. Power outages were wide spread and Florence is blamed for 57 deaths in four states. The flood threat continued for many days dumping of rain on the Carolinas.  An Americares emergency team was already on the ground in advance of the storm and immediately went to work.

Americares responded with emergency staff and air and ground deliveries of medicine and relief supplies. Americares emergency programs also supported clinics with what they needed to replace equipment, keep doors open and add staff hours to meet the needs of survivors. The response included:

• 8 emergency responders deployed
• 113 total days of staff in field (combined)
• 20,000 prescriptions
• 385,000 medical and relief supplies
• 62 emergency shipments
• 24 local organizations supported, including clinics and emergency shelters
• 35 health workers trained in preparedness

$2.1 million total aid