Articles Tagged with ''disaster relief''

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires. Food and water safety may not be the first things people think about when they’re trying to put their lives and homes back together after a disaster, but the two should be near the top of their priority list.

Hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and wildfires: recent headlines prove that even disasters that give us some notice – such as hurricanes – can cause far more destruction than expected, and that effective emergency response depends upon preparedness.

As we recognize September as National Preparedness Month, U.S. and international emergency personnel have been overwhelmed with responses to the hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and wildfires experienced in this month alone.

At state and federal level, there’s considerable resistance to planning for the various impacts of extreme weather events linked to climate change. To be sure, climate change is exacerbating the impacts of events like hurricanes. While the economic toll of this year’s storms is being calculated, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated in 2013 that weather-related power outages cost the economy between $18 billion and $33 billion each year.

There are long lines at Florida gas stations and empty shelves in the state’s grocery stores, as residents both stock up on supplies and prepare to flee before Hurricane Irma makes its expected landfall sometime Sunday. Irma could then strike a blow at parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has donated about $2 million in personal protective equipment (PPE) to support first responders and emergency personnel in efforts to assist their communities following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

The storm is over, the flood waters are receding and the difficult task of recovery is getting underway in Texas and Louisiana – activities which will bring a new set of hazards to the people who are trying to pick up the pieces and go on.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is issuing grants, OSHA is suspending enforcement activity and federal contractor requirements are being waived, all in an effort to assist with and expedite post-Harvey recovery efforts.

The tens of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Harvey will be contending with more than rebuilding their homes, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).