As the first potential hurricane of 2019 bears down on the Gulf Coast, Direct Relief is working closely with more than 100 health facilities in the storm’s path to prepare and respond as needed.

In anticipation of the storm’s landfall on Saturday, emergency medical resources from Direct Relief are staged with healthcare providers in Louisiana and neighboring states, and additional shipments of medications and medical supplies are ready for rapid deployment from Direct Relief’s humanitarian distribution warehouse.

Tropical Storm Barry, the second named storm of 2019, is expected to bring major flooding and high winds to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Barry is expected to exacerbate the effects of recent rains that have swelled the Mississippi River, flooding streets and causing power outages in New Orleans and surrounding areas.

Before hurricane season started in June, Direct Relief strategically pre-positioned 75 “Hurricane Prep Modules” throughout hurricane-prone regions of the U.S., eight of which went to Louisiana.

Each module contains more than 200 medications and other health items requested most often by health providers during emergencies, including medicines and supplies for trauma as well as chronic health conditions like diabetes and hypertension that if unmanaged can cause acute crises.

The portable modules are created to address predictable risks during the immediate post-storm period when supply lines are often compromised and populations are displaced. Direct Relief initially designed the modules based on Hurricane Katrina after-action analyses that found medications and medical supplies, had they been available, would have averted health emergencies among evacuees.

To track Barry’s path and view the locations of Direct Relief’s hurricane prep modules, view the map below.

Direct Relief will continue to provide updates on Tropical Storm Barry as it approaches land.