Extreme Weather

By Americares U.S. Director of Emergency Response Mariel Fonteyn As we enter the Atlantic hurricane…

This is the first story in a three-part series of blog posts highlighting the remarkable work of Americares partners in communities they serve in the path of Hurricane Ian. It introduces us to Nadine “Deanie” Singh, Executive Director of Premier Mobile Health Services and the people for whom she provides health care.

Kate Dischino, AmeriCares Director of Emergency Response, just returned from the greater Baton Rouge area where she assessed needs following the devastating flooding that began in mid-August. She tells us about the challenges survivors and recovery volunteers are facing and gives us an update on the critical role AmeriCares is playing both to ensure survivors have access to health care and to support their recovery from the disaster.

The events of Hurricane Katrina inspired my career in nonprofit emergency management. My experiences on the Gulf Coast following the storm, and in dozens of domestic and international disaster zones since, have reinforced my choice of career and the role we all play in emergency management – from personal preparedness to effective partnerships.

An AmeriCares team arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, just 48 hours after the April 25 earthquake. AmeriCares teams have been holding mobile health clinics for survivors and traveling to rural areas with stocks of medicine and supplies, to treat survivors and assess needs at hospitals and clinics.

An AmeriCares team arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, just 48 hours after the April 25 earthquake. AmeriCares teams have been holding mobile health clinics for survivors and traveling to rural areas with stocks of medicine and supplies, to treat survivors and assess needs at hospitals and clinics.

Before Hurricane Sandy struck, I went to my house one last time to check that I hadn’t left anything behind. Suddenly my friend Sarah yelled, “We need to go!” As the tide surged up my street, we had little time to get out before the flood would strand us. I looked at my newly renovated home once more, not realizing that it would be the last moment I saw it in a livable state.

The suffering continues for countless families in the aftermath of a massive flood disaster in Uttarakhand, India. Garrett Ingoglia, AmeriCares vice president of Emergency Response, was on the ground with our India team, mobilizing a long-term emergency response. Here, Garrett delivers a first-hand glimpse of the devastating crisis.

On Monday, May 20, I was preparing a shipment of tetanus vaccine for an Oklahoma town struck by a tornado a day earlier when our team received the first alert about a massive tornado that had just leveled Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City.

Less than 24 hours after a monstrous EF-5 tornado ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, our relief team arrived in the hard-hit suburb of Moore to identify needs and arrange aid deliveries. Here, Kate Dischino shares a glimpse of how the devastation has affected the health care needs of survivors.

2012 marked the third consecutive year that Pakistan has been inundated by crisis-level flooding. Since the floods struck in 2010, AmeriCares has delivered more than $6 million in flood relief to survivors. Our relief expert, Riaz Khalil visited Thatta, Sindh province to report on the impact of distributions of cooking sets and mats. Here, Riaz explains the how these simple necessities helped three struggling families.

Dmitriy Popov and Madeleine Rowan were part of the AmeriCares relief team working in Staten Island in the weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Below, Dmitriy and Madeleine provide a glimpse of the work being done on the ground to help Sandy victims, and the great need for continued aid.

Emergency Response Manager, Kate Dischino spent Thanksgiving Day at the Nassau Community College emergency shelter, where AmeriCares sponsored a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for 500 people in need. Below, she shares her impressions of the day.

My colleague Alex and I visited a group of doctors in Coney Island who have been bringing water and medicines in backpacks up the stairwells to some of the most vulnerable residents.

When Sandy hit the Rockaways, sea water converged from both sides of the peninsula, surging into basements and living rooms in this beachside community. Nearly two weeks later, signs of distress still litter the streets

AmeriCares deployed teams of Hurricane Sandy relief workers throughout the tri-state area to assess needs and deliver medical aid, water, relief supplies, blankets, flashlights, sleeping bags and other aid to help families in hard-hit communities. Below, Naomi Andebhran recounts an emergency water delivery that took her team from Manhattan to Rockaway, Queens — where drinking water was desperately needed and in short supply.

AmeriCares has deployed Hurricane Sandy relief teams to hard-hit communities throughout the tri-state area to fill urgent needs for medical aid and relief supplies.

AmeriCares is marshalling all of our resources to support survivors of Hurricane Sandy. Since the storm hit on October 29, we have been working nonstop to fill the immediate needs of clinics and shelters along the East Coast. We continue to respond to requests and are committed to an extended response to save lives and protect the health of survivors.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the height of storm activity typically occurring in August and September. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting 9-15 named storms, including 4-8 hurricanes. AmeriCares Director of Emergency Response, Garrett Ingoglia provides a glimpse of the preparation that takes place behind the scenes, long before a hurricane strikes.

In April, 2011 a series of deadly tornadoes struck the South, Midwest, and Eastern U.S., claiming hundreds of lives and destroying thousands of homes.