Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall in the northwestern Bahamas Wednesday, triggering evacuations and forcing residents into shelters. Direct Relief prepositioned emergency medical supplies in the Bahamas at the start of hurricane season, and staff in Nassau are coordinating with the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Authority, and the local healthcare networks in the affected areas.
Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to intensify into a Category 1 hurricane and make landfall Wednesday night in Florida, where Direct Relief has staged emergency medical supplies at four sites in the projected storm path.
Each emergency cache contains more than 210 medical items most needed in the wake of a hurricane, including trauma supplies, a range of antibiotics, syringes, basic first aid supplies, and medications to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and severe allergic reactions.
Hurricanes 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.
To help mitigate the risk to vulnerable patients, Direct Relief pre-positions dozens of hurricane medical caches throughout hurricane-prone areas of the U.S. and Caribbean each year.
Concurrent Responses in Florida and The Bahamas
As Direct Relief prepares to respond to Hurricane Nicole, it continues its support for Florida’s west coast following Hurricane Ian. Since Ian made landfall last month, Direct Relief has provided Florida health facilities with more than 435 emergency shipments of medical assistance totaling 32,000 lbs., as well as emergency funding for nonprofit health centers and clinics to cover a range of urgent operational expenses.
Direct Relief also remains active in the Bahamas, helping the nation recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Since the Category 5 storm devastated the island in 2019, Direct Relief has been involved in helping reestablish healthcare access in Nassau, Grand Bahama, and throughout the Abacos by providing:
- More than 240 tons of medical aid
- Cold-chain medication equipment, a containerized operating theatre, and a new fluoroscopic machine
- Assistance in rebuilding destroyed clinics/hospitals
- Funding for solar power initiatives and the refurbishment of over 250 damaged medical devices
- Funding for the construction of three brand new clinics and a staff housing building onsite at the main referral hospital in Marsh Harbour, Abaco
