How to help victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida

One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, where a catastrophic storm surge inundated communities along the Gulf Coast, killing at least one person and destroying homes and businesses.

Hurricane Ian first swept through Cuba, crippling its power grid earlier this week before rapidly gaining strength. When the storm hit Florida just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, its winds of 150 miles per hour narrowly achieved Category 5 status.

LIVE MAP: Follow the path of Hurricane Ian

Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Wednesday that emergency response teams are aware that not all have followed the evacuation order in high-risk areas.

“Some have called, and those people will be signed up and there will be an answer,” DeSantis said. “But it will likely take a little time for this storm to progress for first responders to do so safely.”

CLOCK: Hurricane Ian leaves catastrophic damage in its wake after sweeping through Florida

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed one death in Deltona, while Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday morning that thousands of residents were stranded after roads and bridges became impassable.

Nearly a quarter of all Florida customers are without power as of Thursday afternoon, bringing more than 2.6 million users statewide.

President Joe Biden preemptively authorized an emergency declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Saturday, a few days before Ian’s arrival.

After wreaking havoc across Florida Thursday, Thursday’s storm moved north toward South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane.

Here are some of the organizations mobilizing on the ground and how you can help

Hundreds of trained American Red Cross volunteers arrived in Florida from overseas ahead of the storm and are asking for donations to support their ongoing efforts.

“For every single tropical storm, we’ve mobilized as if it were going to be something big, so we’re ready and confident in our ability to get relief supplies to the people who need them,” said Evan Peterson, regional communications manager for the Georgia Red Cross who was taking shelter in Orlando.

Peterson said an estimated 13,000 people spent Tuesday night in hundreds of Red Cross shelters scattered across the state.

“We know it will take weeks, months, if not longer, to recover and the Red Cross is committed to helping people,” Peterson said. “We also know it’s going to be expensive and you want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help everyone.”

CLOCK: City guide describes damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Venice, Florida

Caring for Others, an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty caused by natural disasters, is coordinating its “Caring Convoy” to transport relief supplies to Florida, though Georgia may also need assistance in the coming days.

“This hurricane will not only hit Florida. It will also affect Georgia,” said Eslene Richmond-Shockley, Founder and CEO.

Caring for Others is looking for donations and hoarding supplies for the eventual road trip across state lines. Richmond-Shockley said they would determine how far the convoy of mostly volunteer trucks will travel after Ian’s landing due to dangerous driving conditions.

According to CEO Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief, a non-governmental organization that distributes medical supplies after natural disasters, had ample opportunity to coordinate its strategy due to some lead time. Her efforts began last week with the Florida Association of Community Health Partners (FACHP), the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and Florida VOAD.

CONTINUE READING: Photos show the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Earlier this month, more than 100 shipments of medical supplies made their way to local health centers. Direct Relief has also pre-positioned 12 hurricane modules, which Tighe describes as “weatherproof takeaway pharmacies.” Each can treat up to 150 people for a variety of ailments over the course of three days.

Gianna Van Winkle, director of emergency management programs at FAHP, said 75 percent of health centers across the state have changed their operational status to prepare for Ian’s path of devastation.

These fortifications included the laying down of sandbags to prevent flooding and other precautions taken to preserve the physical integrity of sites that provide irreplaceable services to their communities. (As the storm swept through Port Charlotte on Wednesday, a hospital’s emergency room was flooded and parts of the roof were blown off by the wind.)

CLOCK: FEMA Administrator Outlines Federal Response to Hurricane Ian

“Our health centers are deliberately located in medically underserved areas and serve vulnerable communities,” said Van Winkle. “In and of itself, keeping health centers open reduces the pressure on the entire health care system and prevents people from going to the emergency room and other places that are already under tremendous pressure.”

For Tighe, it is not so much the catastrophic event to worry about when it comes to health as “the disruption to the status quo of health services that leaves people, particularly those with chronic conditions, in a vulnerable state.” .

Older people who suffer from chronic diseases or who require electrical power for life-support equipment are at increased risk from natural disasters. But Tighe says her medical planning “mitigates immediate risks.”

Donations to Direct Relief support the purchase of medicines, equipment and supplies that fill chronic health care gaps that have become all the more critical after Ian.

CLOCK: Biden outlines FEMA’s response plan after Hurricane Ian

“I think we’ve seen now that in an emergency there is more demand in the short term, but it’s not leveling off to zero. It can stretch for weeks or months depending on the severity of the impact,” Tighe said.

Widespread power outages across the state are particularly problematic for healthcare providers, who need power to charge ventilators and cool medications, among other things.

“We are definitely very concerned by the scale of the power outages and the impact that there may be longer-term effects if people are not able to get back on the grid,” said Dr. Julie Varughese, chief program officer at Americares, who is providing a boost in medical support to areas affected by disaster or conflict.

Varughese said a response team is getting ready to go Friday morning to meet with her partnership of 148 local clinics and community health centers in Florida. Americares is asking for donations, some of which will be used to fund the network of partner clinics and centers.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been in this situation before,” Varughese said, “and we know people will need help — not just now, not the day or week after the storm, but it could be months or even years as people do.” take time to rebuild.”

How to avoid charity fraud

• Determine if the organization, nonprofit, or group has a proven track record of providing assistance to those in need.
• Identify local initiatives and efforts based in the areas hardest hit by the natural disaster.
• Beware of phone calls and emails asking for donations.
• Avoid unknown agencies and websites. There is a history of scammers who created websites that look like fundraising sites after a major tragedy, but were actually scams.

This story is evolving and updated.