October 3, 2022

Hurricane Ian: How to Help

Much of the southeastern seaboard is reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian has left more than 40,000 people without a home or access to clean water across Cuba and the southeast United States, particularly Florida and South Carolina.

At least 88 people have been killed as a result of the storm, and an ongoing search-and-rescue effort is underway. More than 613,000 homes, businesses and other customers in Florida still did not have power as of Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

Many people in the region are also facing food and fuel shortages. Roads remain blocked, water and sewer services are disrupted, and officials are warning that recovery could take weeks.

Hurricane Ian – expected to be the most expensive storm in Florida’s history – devastated neighborhoods from the state’s western coast to inland cities like Orlando.

To date, it is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. Coastal storm surge was reported to be more than 15 feet in the hardest hit areas where many of the homes are less than 1 foot above sea level.

The region is in immediate need of medical and disaster relief supplies

Consider making a one-time gift or setting up monthly payroll deduction through the UWCFD to one of our member organizations actively responding in Hurricane Ian’s aftermath: 

AmeriCares (charity code 0315518), a health-focused relief and development organization, is responding to the impact of Hurricane Ian with medicines, relief supplies and emergency response teams.

Project HOPE (charity code 0316050) Project HOPE is responding to help people impacted by Hurricanes Fiona & Ian. Your gift today helps our teams prepare for emergencies and continue our lifesaving work around the world.

The Salvation Army (charity code 1478728) has prepared field kitchens and other relief supplies, including food, clothing, tarps and clean-up kits to help along the Gulf Coast.

The American Red Cross (charity code 0337346) is working around the clock with our partners to provide help to people struggling with the heartbreaking damage left behind by Hurricane Ian.

Direct Relief (charity code 0316325) has committed an initial $1 million in funding for Hurricane Ian relief efforts and has made its $100 million+ medical inventory available for medical needs in the region.

International Medical Corps (charity code 1479246) relieves the suffering of those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, often in difficult and dangerous environments. We deliver vital healthcare services and training that help devastated populations move from relief to self-reliance.

Save the Children (charity code 0315475): Hurricanes and severe weather events can destroy or disrupt infrastructure critical to children’s well-being. Save the Children’s emergency response team is mobilizing to meet the most urgent needs of children most impacted by Hurricane Ida. Your donation today supports this life-saving work.

Humane Society Disaster Relief (charity code 0314983): Our Animal Rescue and Response team is prepared to answer the call for any large-scale emergencies, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, utility outages and more.