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Stamford, Conn. – Oct. 15, 2024 – Americares has dispatched a mobile clinic to western North Carolina, bringing medical care to communities still reeling from Hurricane Helene. More than two weeks after the storm brought record flooding and landslides, thousands of households are still without power and in need of clean drinking water.
The mobile clinic team provides essential medical services, including prescribing medications, blood sugar testing and tetanus vaccinations to protect residents and first responders cleaning up storm debris. A bilingual mental health professional is also on hand to meet with English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients, provide mental health education and support and make referrals to local providers, as needed.
“We’re bringing medical care to the hardest hit communities,” said Americares Emergency Medical Officer Dr. Prabu Selvam. “We’re going into the most devastated areas, including rural towns that were inaccessible for days after the storm. We are seeing patients in need of treatment for asthma, diabetes, hypertension and skin conditions—some of which are exacerbated by the physical and emotional strain of the disaster.”
The clinic is conducting outreach to eight affected counties, and so far has planned stops at aid distribution sites, meal programs, community centers and public buildings in Rutherford, Buncombe and Avery counties, including hard-hit Swannanoa and Elk Park.
At the same time, Americares is installing water purification systems, which can provide clean drinking water for up to 10,000 people a day, in partnership with Planet Water Foundation. The first AquaBlock emergency water system was installed this weekend at the Smith Mill Works in Asheville, N.C., in collaboration with volunteers from Be Well AVL. The system serves residents of Smith Mill Works, Deaverview, Echo Hills, Wilshire Park, Lucerne and Lucerne Park. Americares is working with local community organizations to install additional water systems at other locations in and around Asheville.
Americares deployed Emergency Response teams to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee after Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26 and headed north, carving a trail of destruction throughout the Southeast. In western North Carolina, Americares has been assisting the relief efforts since Oct. 1, coordinating aid deliveries and meeting with community leaders and health care providers to identify the most urgent health needs. Mental health professionals on the team are conducting outreach throughout the region to provide mental health support to survivors and first responders.
“Helene had a devastating impact on western North Carolina. We are seeing a need to support survivors and overwhelmed staff and volunteers working on the hurricane response and provide culturally sensitive mental health services, particularly in underserved Latino communities,” said Americares Disaster Mental Health Specialist Jen Peng. “Our team is conducting debrief sessions to provide emotional support and teaching caregivers coping skills they can use throughout the recovery.”
Americares is delivering medicines and relief supplies to partner clinics in affected areas and has offered assistance to over 360 partner organizations in the path of the storm. To date, Americares has shipped 4 tons of relief supplies for Hurricane Helene survivors and has awarded over $400,000 in emergency funding to 15 local organizations providing health services to survivors in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Americares responds to more than 35 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings preparedness programs to communities vulnerable to disasters. The organization has a long history of responding to flooding and major storms in the southeastern United States, including Hurricanes Florence, Ian, Idalia and Michael in recent years.
Donation to Americares Hurricane Helene Relief Fund will support the organization’s response to this emergency. To donate go to: americares.org/Helene