Flooding In Missouri
Historic rainfall fell on eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois from Monday night into Tuesday morning, breaking a 100-year record to set a new all-time daily rainfall record for St. Louis. About six to 10 inches of rain fell from midnight to 6 a.m. across the region.
Transportation routes across St. Louis experienced flooding, including the closure of I-70, with multiple people needing rescue from homes and vehicles. A number of residents across the area have also reported flooding in their homes, and a local emergency shelter has been opened.
More than 6,000 power outages were reported in St. Louis County, and more than 1,100 in neighboring St. Charles County.
Direct Relief is in conversation with the Missouri Primary Care Association, which has indicated that multiple Federally Qualified Health Centers in the St. Louis area have patients, clinics, and staff experiencing flooding. Direct Relief has shared its current inventory list of available supplies with healthcare providers in the region and will continue to monitor the situation.
Monkeypox Outbreak
On Saturday, The World Health Organization formally declared the current global monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. Monkeypox is usually seen in West Africa and rarely appears outside of that region.
The current global case count is over 17,000 cases in 74 countries, with the U.S. and many European countries particularly affected. The CDC is reporting that almost 3,000 of the global cases are in the U.S., with all but 6 states currently reporting cases (as of July 22, 2022). Locations particularly affected include Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Early last week, Direct Relief offered its support to California and federal public health agencies to assist with vaccine distribution if needed, especially as the supply of vaccines becomes less restricted. Direct Relief will continue to monitor this developing situation and offer support as appropriate.
Oak Fire
Since its outbreak on Friday, the Oak Fire has burned over 18,000 acres in Mariposa County, near Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. As of Monday, evacuations have been in place for over 6,000 people, with 1,440 structures threatened.
Over the weekend, Direct Relief staff reached out to the State of California Office of Emergency Services to offer support, as well as to county response agencies.
Wildfire preparation and response is part of the organization’s ongoing work, and on Friday, a shipment of field medic packs was dispatched to the California National Guard for fire preparation across the state of California.
The organization is in communication with local responders about ongoing needs and is ready to respond.
