Hurricane Ian strengthened to Category Two status on Monday, with wind speeds of more than 100 miles per hour as it moved toward western Cuba. The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, and the storm’s impacts there may be felt as early as Tuesday, with heavy rainfall and high winds preceding the storm.
Depending on the storm’s path, multiple states could be impacted by Ian.
In addition to twelve pre-positioned caches of medical aid currently staged in Florida, Direct Relief also has hurricane preparedness packs staged in Georgia, South Carolina and across the U.S. Gulf Coast ready to be accessed by local health facilities. The caches contain essential medications like antibiotics, wound care, chronic disease medications like insulin and diabetes management supplies, medicines for high blood pressure, asthma medications, and more. Emergency supplies have also been staged in Havana, Cuba, for use should they be needed.
Direct Relief has been in daily communication over the weekend with the Florida Primary Care Association about potential needs. The association sent out Direct Relief’s offer of medical support to the association’s member health organizations, and about a half-dozen health facilities have requested assistance over the weekend in preparation for the storm’s impacts. The organization has also been in contact with the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, as well Florida VOAD, or Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
Direct Relief is also ready to deploy additional medicines and supplies as well as a variety of backup power options, as needed.
Health Impacts
There are currently 25 Federally Qualified Health Center administrative sites located in the path of Hurricane Ian, according to the hurricane’s forecast error cone projected Tuesday by the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Those sites serve a combined 974,851 patients annually, 48.6 percent of whom are at or below the Federal Poverty Level.
Disasters like hurricanes also disproportionately impact vulnerable people, including children, older adults, people without access to transportation, people with disabilities, and those for whom English is a second language.
People with chronic conditions are also at risk if they lose access to medications needed to manage their health. Conditions like asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure can prompt emergency room visits during times of high volume for acute injuries.
At health centers in the storm’s forecast error cone, 4.1 percent of patients had a diagnosis of asthma (39,780 patients), 8.6 percent had a diabetes diagnosis (84,036 patients), and 18.5 percent were managing hypertension (180,531 patients), according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
A History of Response
Direct Relief has a long history of responding to hurricanes throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast, including in Florida with Hurricane Michael in 2018, a Category Four hurricane that devastated several communities in the state’s panhandle.
Since Sept. 1, Direct Relief has shipped 3,620 pounds of medical aid to 60 recipients across Florida, including to community health centers and free clinics providing health services. The organization will continue to respond as the situation develops.
