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HURRICANES

Hurricanes, floods and other extreme weather events such as wildfires, drought, extreme heat and cold are becoming a fact of life and the destruction from these catastrophic events goes beyond individual homes and health centers; they may completely destroy neighborhoods and entire communities in a few hours or even minutes or they inflict other deadly consequences.

The Threats
Our Work
Disasters caused by extreme weather events over the past 20 years almost doubled to 6,681 from the 3,656 that occurred in the previous 20 years. Read more.

Hurricanes, Tornadoes…

The 50+ inches of rain that flooded Houston with Hurricane Harvey, the fury of Hurricane Maria devastating Puerto Rico, the path of Hurricane Dorian that struck the Bahamas with such force, the extreme weather emergency in Texas, the monstrous EF-5 tornado that leveled Moore, Oklahoma, the swath of destruction cut by Typhoon Haiyan through the Philippines stand as testimony of the escalating threat from “100 year storms/floods.”  Extreme weather is rapidly becoming the expected norm.

HURRICANES

While high winds cause great damage, storm surge can be the most deadly threat for coastal areas, along with major flooding from torrential rains. These storms can be tracked for days, however, and preparations can be made that save lives. 

TORNADOES

A deadly funnel appears, giving only minutes of warning; the incredible power of the wind vortex can literally tear apart anything above ground.

FLOODS

While major floods are often “slow moving disasters,” flash floods catch people unprepared in cars or at home. Flooding rivers and broken dams can sweep away entire communities particularly in low lying areas. Floods also contaminate water supplies, leading to water borne disease outbreaks, as well creating conditions for deadly mudslides. 

The Texas Cold Weather Crisis has starkly demonstrated the impact that extreme weather can have on communities and basic infrastructure that have not adequately prepared for potential weather disasters. Read more about our response to extreme weather in Texas.

In the 2020 Hurricane Season which ended officially on November 30, there were 30 named storms. Thirteen became hurricanes, including six major hurricanes with 12 named storms making landfall in the United States – the most active season on record. The previous record for named storms in an Atlantic hurricane season was 2005, which had 28 named storms. 2020 was the fifth year in a row with an above normal number of storms, though 18 of the previous 26 years have also been above the normal number. Of this year’s storms, 9 were classified as “rapidly intensifying,” tying a record set in 1995 and matched in 2010. These types of storms are happening more often, leaving people with less time to prepare. The 2020 season resulted in approximately 430 lives lost and cost an estimated $40 billion in damage. The devastation left in the wake of multiple storms will take months, even years to restore and rebuild, and communities with the least resources are the ones facing the greatest challenges.

Americares responded to 8 out of the 30 named hurricanes of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season (Hanna, Isaias, Laura, Sally, Delta, Zeta, Eta, and Iota) We track the storms and respond where help was needed – even as the COVID Pandemic ravages communities around the world.

And what about typhoons and cyclones? Physically, they are hurricanes by a different name. They are called hurricanes in the Atlantic and in the Eastern Pacific, typhoons in the West Pacific and cyclones around Australia and India.

Drought & Deadly Wildfires

Now extreme weather is manifesting itself in the form of record drought conditions that produce famine in some parts of the world.  Here in the U.S. drought followed by high winds and then combined with such phenomena as insect infestations in forest lands and manmade causes including land management and building code practices or electrical accidents have created some of the worst wildfires on record in California and in parts of the Southwest. As is often the case with extreme weather events, manmade factors can complicate and amplify the destructive force of the event itself. The Camp Fire in northern California in late 2018 became the worst fire in the state’s history killing more than 80 people and destroying thousands of homes. The 2019 “fire season” brought another round of deadly fires to the state and again in 2020 more fires raged – a lethal combination of drought conditions and man-made causes. The 2020 fire season has far surpassed previous years and fires still burn even after the official end of the season. And we cannot overlook the deadly results of extreme heat which is actually the top weather killer – sometimes after a storm where power and access to clean water are lost. Heat kills nearly twice as many Americans each year as tornadoes and almost three times more than hurricanes. Climate change is expected to intensify the deadly results of extreme weather events. Photo by Gene Blevins / REUTERS

Nebraska Floods

Epic Floods

In 2019 Americares emergency teams responded to major flooding disasters caused by major storms in Africa and the central plains of the U.S. Cyclone Idai followed by Cyclone Kenneth devastated Mozambique and then carried more death and destruction to Zimbabwe and Malawi, putting nearly 1,900 square miles underwater. Record rainfall and continued violent storms, spawning dozens of tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest brought historic flooding to Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and other surrounding states, covering entire communities and caused massive damage to farms in the region. The effects of flooding are often exacerbated by human activity (i.e. building in flood zones and loss of wetlands). Where is the greatest flood risk in the U.S.? Click here to see a map of areas at risk.  Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Extreme Threats

Extreme weather events create some specific challenges for Americares Emergency Response Team and our health care partners, and good planning provides response solutions. For example:

Threat:

Wind and subsequent water damage to roof, windows and doors of the facility — destroying equipment, medicine & supplies, rendering the facility inoperable when it is most needed.

Response:

Provide emergency repairs or a temporary facility, restock medicines/supplies, replace equipment and then build back better.

Threat:

Loss of power and thus loss of medicines that require refrigeration such as insulin and vaccines.

Response:

Generators and/or fuel to run them along with rapid resupply of lost medicines. Tetanus and chronic diseases are life threatening without vaccines, medicines and supplies.

Threat:

Loss of access to ongoing health care due to remote location and/or infrastructure damage. A particular threat to people with chronic disease, expectant mothers and children.

Response:

Send emergency medical teams to communities and house-to-house if necessary to provide primary health care and referrals for specialized care.

Threat:

Evacuations to temporary shelters or to makeshift camps.

Response:

Hygiene kits, emergency medicine and supplies for those who had to flee quickly without their personal belongings or medications. Supplies such as mosquito bed nets, insect repellant, water purification and cleaning materials and tetanus vaccine are also important for those who return to their homes in the aftermath and face possible water and vector borne diseases and cleanup injuries.

Threat:

Trauma and other extreme stress for survivors including health workers in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

Response:

Trained health workers to identify trauma and support programs for those most at risk, and especially support for health workers who are often survivors themselves.

As we get ready for the next super storm, we know that we can’t do it without you.

Please help your neighbors near and far with a gift right now.

Our Work:
Responding to Extreme Events

An EF-5 tornado, like the one in Oklahoma in 2013 had winds near 200 mph and was over 2 miles wide. Typhoon Haiyan in the same year was the most powerful storm on record. Extreme weather of this magnitude is merciless and leaves little standing in its path.  With the rise in such disasters, we know the life-saving value of “ready, respond, recover”.

Past Emergency

Hurricanes 2017

The 2017 Hurricane Season produced Harvey, Irma and Maria, leaving death and destruction on an epic scale. Americares responded to all 3 and continues the recovery.

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Activity Recovery

Hurricane Dorian

Americares responded to Hurricane Dorian that lashed the Bahamas for more than 40 hours with winds of 180 mph and more.

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Past Emergency

Typhoon Haiyan

On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, possibly the most powerful storm ever recorded, dealt a massive blow to the Philippines. We responded within 72 hours.

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Protecting the Vulnerable

Americares has expanded and deepened emergency programs to meet the formidable challenges of storm destruction on an ever-larger scale. We actively engage with our partners in regions particularly at risk for these storms to prepare for the next one by building greater resilience and capacity in each local health center and for every health worker. And in storm-prone regions, we often seek out and serve the most vulnerable members of a community – children, elderly, the very poor, single-parent families, expectant mothers and those with chronic disease. A person with diabetes will still need insulin after the storm and a mother about to give birth will still need a safe place to deliver. Emergency teams constantly evaluate and deploy new tools and programs that target local concerns and needs. Better weather forecasting and tracking of storms allows us to deploy a team early, connect with our local partners and respond more rapidly when the storm strikes.  But even with better technology, we have learned to “expect the unexpected” in each disaster and be ready to adapt to conditions on the ground and respond accordingly.  And in 2020 we faced the enormous challenges of responding in the midst of the Global COVID-19 Pandemic. Our commitment remains the same: to respond where help is needed.

We Expect
Extremes

Emergency programs at Americares represent a continuous cycle of Ready, Respond, Recover and then get Ready again, only better. Each disaster presents a new set of challenges to lay the foundation for a better response the next time around.  It is a dynamic process, ever changing as more extreme weather and unforeseen manmade crises arise – always demanding that we increase our knowledge and capabilities. In that work, we are ever mindful and incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our individual and corporate donors along with the presence of local partners who have the ground sense and skill necessary to meet the challenges and often only lack resources to prepare for them.

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