Readying Partners for Hurricane Season

In 2010, Direct Relief has expanded its Hurricane Preparedness Program along the U.S. Gulf Coast, throughout the Caribbean, and to Central America. Experts are predicting an extremely busy Atlantic hurricane season in 2010, with an expected 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and a 70 percent probability that a major hurricane will make landfall in the U.S.

Based on lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, and through Direct Relief's work with the Texas Blue Ribbon Commission on Emergency Preparedness and Response, we have developed the Hurricane Preparedness (“Prep”) Pack Program to supply safety net clinics in high-risk areas with the resources they need to offer rapid response in the event of a major storm. See a video about Direct Relief's Hurricane Preparedness Program 

Since 2006, Direct Relief has furnished medications and supplies to health facilities in hurricane zones before the storm season begins June 1. Pre-positioning the packs at clinics before a hurricane strikes eliminates delivery delays and equips medical professionals with the materials to treat injured patients. The packs are also designed to be mobile and easily transported should a medical facility have to evacuate and set up temporary operations elsewhere.

U.S. Hurricane Prep Packs

The U.S Hurricane Prep Pack has been improved for 2010 with enhancements based on feedback from clinicians across the Gulf Coast. Stocked with enough materials to treat 100 patients for up to five days, the Prep Packs help providers treat conditions ranging from basic trauma injuries to chronic illnesses. Contents of the pack that remain after hurricane season are absorbed into clinic inventories to assure that the resources are used effectively to treat uninsured patients. This year, Direct Relief is delivering 30 packs to health facilities in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, up from 25 packs pre-positioned in 2009.

International Hurricane Preparedness Modules

Hurricane Preparedness Modules, which are larger consignments of medical aid and supplies tailored to the needs of partners in the Caribbean, will be deployed to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Each module is designed to treat 1,000 people for one month, giving partners the ability to immediately respond as Direct Relief prepares airlifts of needed supplies to resupply healthcare providers. Twelve modules will be delivered in 2010, up from eight last year.

In response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January, leaving millions of people displaced, two additional modules will be prepositioned in Port-au-Prince at Direct Relief’s Haiti warehouse. These modules will remain available for immediate deployment should a hurricane hit earthquake-affected areas.