Hurricane Kay made landfall Thursday afternoon in Mexico, lashing the west coast of Baja California Sur with heavy rains and winds reaching 75 mph, prompting Mexico’s Civil Protection Agency to issue a red alert for potential flash floods and landslides.
Direct Relief is coordinating with the government of Baja California to supply the state Civil Protection Agency and other first responders with 40 emergency field medic packs and other hurricane and flood-related medical supplies for deployment to affected and difficult-to-reach areas, including trauma care items, antibiotics, and medications for diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions.
Hurricane Readiness
Direct Relief operates an extensive hurricane preparedness network across the U.S., the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and the Pacific.
The program involves prepositioning emergency medical modules at health facilities in hurricane-prone areas for rapid deployment in the event of a disaster.
The portable modules are designed to address the predictable risks during the immediate post-storm period when supply lines are often compromised and populations are displaced.
Each module contains more than 200 medications requested most often by health providers during emergencies, including for diabetes, hypertension and other chronic health conditions that, if unmanaged, can become acute crises.
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.
Direct Relief in Mexico
Direct Relief, a registered nonprofit in Mexico, maintains Donataria Autorizada status, allowing companies and residents in Mexico to receive tax benefits for donations they make to Direct Relief.
Direct Relief’s work in Mexico involves helping hospitals, clinics, and foundations gain access to medical products needed by patients with serious diseases or illnesses or who are affected by disasters or emergencies.
Tracking Tropical Storm Kay
As Kay moves northward as a tropical storm, it poses a flash flooding risk to Southern California and southwest Arizona.
Direct Relief will remain in close communication with Mexico and U.S.-based agencies and health facilities along the storm’s projected path and will provide additional information as the situation evolves.
