Direct Relief’s emergency response team has activated to assist partners in the Caribbean threatened by Tropical Storm Emily, which is headed toward the island of Hispaniola today. Carrying winds of more than 50 miles per hour and expected to bring 10 inches of rain to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Emily brings a significant threat to earthquake-ravaged Haiti, which is also in the throes of a cholera outbreak.

The Direct Relief team has reached out to its more than 100-partner network in Haiti to offer assistance for people affected by the storm, which is expected to bring mudslides, flooding, and heavy rain to Haiti over the next two days, according to news reports. With more than 650,000 people living in temporary shelters and tents, Emily brings an increased threat of waterborne diseases, including cholera and infections of the skin and respiratory system.

In addition to materials that stand ready at Direct Relief’s secure warehouse in Port-au-Prince, six emergency aid modules have been pre-positioned specifically for hurricane relief in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Before hurricane season started in June, Direct Relief strategically positioned six Hurricane Preparedness Modules in key locations across the Caribbean and Central America, in areas particularly vulnerable to storm damage. These sites include Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Hurricane Module recipients are advised to use the contents of the modules as needed to respond to emergency situations. The modules are designed to supply healthcare providers with the material they contain materials to treat up to 5,000 people for a month. This ensures that facilities are equipped to care for their patients in those first critical hours and days after a hurricane strikes, and don’t have to wait for additional aid shipments, which are often delayed by logistical challenges.