Americares Deploys Response Team for Hurricane Harvey

Stamford, Conn. – August 25, 2017 – Americares has deployed an emergency response team to Texas to assist in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Now a Category 2 hurricane, Harvey is rapidly gaining strength and is forecast to develop into a Category 3 storm, with winds of at least 111 miles per hour, before making landfall near Corpus Christi. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has declared a state of disaster for 30 counties, and areas of the state are under mandatory evacuation orders. Parts of Louisiana are also in the storm’s path.

“This has the potential to be the first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in nearly 12 years, and millions of people could be impacted,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. “We have a team in Texas now, coordinating with partners and standing ready to meet urgent health needs.”

Americares has been in contact with its network of local health centers, free clinics and response partners in Texas and is already responding to requests for water and medications. Hurricane Harvey has the potential to deliver up to 35 inches of rain and cause widespread flooding and a coastal storm surge.

Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in its warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organization responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities. Americares has a long history of responding to severe storms in the United States including Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.