We Are Responding to
Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene—the eighth named storm, fifth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and the strongest storm ever to hit Florida’s Big Bend region—hit the Yucatán Peninsula on September 24 as a tropical storm, then gained strength as it passed across the Gulf of Mexico toward the United States, fueled by record-high water temperatures in the Gulf. States of emergency have been declared throughout the Southeast, along with a number of mandatory evacuation orders in coastal communities in Florida. States throughout the Southeast have been affected by catastrophic levels of flooding.

Storms of this strength and scale have a profound effect on infrastructure and the ability to provide healthcare services. Though hospitals and healthcare facilities, including long-term care facilities, worked to prepare for power and water disruptions caused by the storm, they continue to struggle to provide health services. Communities and individuals—especially those with chronic conditions who rely on powered health machines—also are facing dire conditions. It’s important to keep in mind that, when combined with power outages, heatwaves can pose a serious threat to health. Even after the storm had passed, the region continues to experience high heat indices, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees F.

International Medical Corps’ teams are on the ground in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, working with Departments of Health there to support their responses and provide humanitarian relief. In addition, throughout the Southeast region, we have prepositioned medical equipment and supplies, continue to assess critical needs in communities and are working with our state and community clinic partners to support relief and recovery efforts. Equipment we have provided to ensure continuity of healthcare services includes:

• alternate power sources;
• coolers for medicines that require refrigeration;
• tents to help partner organizations set up mobile health units;
• hygiene kits;
• food;
• water; and
• portable showers and washing machines.

In addition, International Medical Corps has deployed clinical volunteers and support staff to western North Carolina, near hard-hit Asheville, to provide essential primary care and behavioural health services in shelters. Our teams are in three shelters in Buncombe County providing 24-hour medical and mental health care. We also have provided 1,000-gallon water tanks to 14 health facilities throughout Buncombe County serving low-income and other vulnerable patients, helping to keep these facilities open and able to provide much-needed healthcare.

We will provide more details on our response activities as the situation develops. Please read our latest situation report in the Resources section below for updates.

Our Response Activities in the US and Territories

So far in 2024, International Medical Corps has deployed teams to provide humanitarian relief in response to Hurricane Milton in Florida, to Hurricane Beryl in Texas and Jamaica, to Hurricane Debby in South Carolina and to Hurricane Ernesto in Puerto Rico. We also provided support to partners in Louisiana in response to Hurricane Francine.

International Medical Corps has been an emergency responder in the United States and Caribbean since 2005, when we partnered with local community clinics overwhelmed by Hurricane Katrina. In the US, International Medical Corps works with national, state and local partners in the healthcare system to address the significant challenges that face domestic healthcare services and deploys emergency response teams in response to disasters.

Across the Caribbean and the US, International Medical Corps was a first responder during 2010’s Haiti earthquake; 2012’s Superstorm Sandy; 2016’s Hurricane Matthew in Haiti; 2017’s Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Dominica; 2018’s Hurricane Michael in Florida; 2019’s Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas; 2020’s earthquakes in Puerto Rico; and 2021’s Hurricane Ida, 2022’s Hurricane Ian and 2023’s Hurricane Idalia in Florida, among other emergency response efforts. Over the past seven years, International Medical Corps has engaged partner networks of more than 275 hospitals, clinics and health-related facilities and NGOs across 18 states and territories, supporting more than 6 million patients and healthcare providers in the US.