Updated August 31st, 2020
Hurricane Laura made landfall on the Louisiana and Texas coasts on August 27th as a Category 4 storm. Sustained winds as high as 150 mph destroyed homes and business and the cut power to hundreds of thousands. The storm surge has since caused devastating flooding in coastal communities. In these areas already greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a critical need for clean water, access to healthcare and medicines, and safe shelter in the coming weeks. While MGH’s Global Disaster Response and Humanitarian Action has not yet been asked to respond, the team is maintaining contact with partner organizations currently assessing the damage and launching responses to the area. We will continue to standby as clinical needs are identified.
Click on the following links to learn more about the work currently being by the Center’s Global Disaster Response partner organizations:
Project HOPE has deployed its Emergency Response Team to affected communities and has mobilized supplies such as surgical masks to support COVID-19 infection prevention efforts and hygiene kits to families displaced by the storm.
More on Project HOPE’s response and to donate.
Ahead of the storm, Direct Relief provided caches of critical medications to health centers and clinics in the storm’s path and is prepared to send additional supplies as needs are identified.
More on Direct Relief’s response and to donate.
Other organizations working to support the response to Hurricane Laura include the following:
- American Red Cross
- Local organizations such as The Cajun Navy, Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, and SBP.
