With Tropical Storm Barry building strength as it heads toward the Gulf Coast—and up to 20 inches of rain forecast for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi—Americares emergency response experts are readying for what could be the first U.S. hurricane of the season.
— an announcement from Americares. Editor’s note: Friday morning weather forecasts say the storm may hit the area around New Orleans late Friday or on Saturday, when it could become a hurricane.
Responding to Barry
Americares emergency teams are on stand-by, ready to ship medicines and relief supplies and deploy to hard-hit areas, if needed. Americares relief workers have contacted more than 20 partner clinics in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas in the path of the storm, with offers of assistance.
Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Gulf Coast from a satellite.
The health-focused relief and development organization is also prepared to provide support to health clinics damaged in the storm.
“Tropical Storm Barry is on track to make a direct hit to New Orleans and bring torrential rain and flooding to the southern United States in the coming days,” said Americares Director of Emergency Response Brian Scheel. “Our response team is ready to meet the immediate health needs in affected communities.”
The National Hurricane Center reports Barry is moving slowly across the Gulf of Mexico and could be a hurricane when it makes landfall on the Louisiana coast late Friday or early Saturday. New Orleans, which is already underwater from a series of thunderstorms, is bracing for up to 20 inches of rain.
Maps from the National Hurricane Center, as of early Friday morning.
Americares’ Disaster Response Abilities
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 has a long history of responding to emergencies in the U.S., including hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Maria and Michael.
Americares 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.
Donations to Americares Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund will support its response to the storm.
About Americares
Americares, headquartered on Hamilton Avenue in Stamford, about a mile from Darien, is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster.
Each year, Americares reaches more than 90 countries, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine and medical supplies.
Americares is the world’s leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit Americares.org