Hurricane Laura made landfall on the Louisiana and Texas coasts as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds as high as 150 mph. It created dangerous storm surges and flooding along hundreds of miles of coast, and is bringing high winds far inland, creating enormous disruptions in lives and livelihoods, especially to areas already hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation, and preparing a range of response options should our assistance be requested, including:
- Deploying a medical team of clinical and public health specialists and logisticians with expertise in COVID-19 infection prevention and control, focusing especially on providing continuity of care in nursing homes;
- Working with partners to distribute medical supplies and equipment—including medicine, personal protective equipment, hygiene kits, etc.—to support recovery efforts; and
- Activating established relationships with regional partners to facilitate a coordinated response.
We will keep you updated as the situation—and our response—develops.