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Floods are the most common natural disaster around the world. Climate change has increased the risk of major flooding — even for areas previously less susceptible to extreme weather events.
Already this year, severe and deadly floods have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. In Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Tanzania and, in the United States, Texas. Americares is providing critical aid and restoring access to health services for flood survivors. With an active Atlantic hurricane season already underway, Americares is prepared to respond to more flood disasters in the months to come
Brazil Floods
A week of record-breaking rainfall in southern Brazil in May caused severe flooding, landslides and a dam collapse, killing over 170 people and forcing more than 600,000 people from their homes. Americares immediately offered emergency funding to support mobile medical teams and distribution of relief supplies to survivors.
Americares also provided emergency funding to a local partner, Ação da Cidadania Contra a Fome a Miséria e Pela Vida, to purchase urgently needed supplies, including hygiene kits, cleaning kits and clean drinking water for communities in the flood-affected areas.
Colombia Floods and Dam Burst
On May 8, after days of heavy rain, the Caregato Dam in northern Colombia ruptured, flooding communities and crops throughout the La Mojana region. More than 7,800 people evacuated; the floodwaters damaged over 1,000 homes.
Americares Colombia team deployed staff to the La Mojana region with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to assess survivor’s immediate and long-term needs. The team quickly determined that access to clean drinking water was an urgent need. In response, Americares installed a water filtration system that is providing clean drinking water to six impacted communities. To date, Americares has provided clean drinking water to over 1,000 families and has delivered over 450 personal hygiene kits and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies for survivors.
Americares response also includes emergency funding for local health facilities and educational outreach to promote health and safety.
Philippines Typhoon and Floods
In late May, Americares deployed a response team from our Manila office to provide emergency aid to communities flooded by heavy rains from Typhoon Ewiniar. The storm, known locally as Typhoon Aghon, forced more than 50,000 people from their homes and damaged more than 7,000 homes in the Quezon and Laguna provinces. Americares emergency response included a water treatment and filtration system to supply survivors with safe water, cleaning kits and information on handwashing and hygiene to protect people from infection after extensive flooding.
In response to the recent devastating floods brought to Laguna Province by Super Typhoon Carina, Americares Philippines deployed an emergency response team, which includes water, sanitation and hygiene experts, to deliver 600 urgently needed hygiene kits, 200 water containers filled with safe drinking water as well as to provide health education for approximately 3,000 people living in the hardest hit communities. The Americares Philippines team is also assisting rural health clinics that were severely flooded in Famy and Siniloan to replace medical equipment used to treat patients, including infants. These rural health clinics serve approximately 56,000 people in the area and are often the only access to health services for many in the region.
Tanzania Floods
When heavy rains and strong winds tore through the Pwani region in Tanzania in early April, Americares Tanzania team responded, providing medicine and medical supplies to health facilities serving displaced survivors. The storms and floods killed more than 150 people and forced 2,800 survivors from their homes and caused Tanzania’s largest river, the Rufiji River, to overflow.
In response, Americares Tanzania deployed an emergency response team to the Rufiji district to deliver medicine and medical supplies to health facilities supporting survivors staying in temporary camps and shelters, ensuring these communities receive quality health care services. Americares Tanzania also provided mental health and psychosocial support training to 25 local officials, health workers and first responders to help them better identify, assess and respond to the mental health needs of disaster survivors as well as learn coping skills to better manage their own stress and trauma. At the same time, Americares Tanzania has also provided mental health and psychosocial support for more nearly 200 individuals who were impacted by the flooding.
United States: Texas Storms
Severe weather including tornadoes tore across the middle of the United States in late April, leaving four people dead and a trail of injuries, property damage and flooding. In Beaumont, Texas, where days of heavy rain flooded roads and buildings, Americares provided emergency funding to Ubi Caritas to cover the costs of repairs to the building and critical systems. Ubi Caritas serves the more than 38,000 people in the Beaumont/Jefferson County area who lack health insurance.
Americares has responded to many severe floods, including in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona, in Libya after Tropical Storm Daniel and in Pakistan after monsoon rains. Americares responds in the immediate aftermath and evaluates how to best support survivors, while also continuing to work with local partners long after the floodwaters recede to restore health services and rebuild more resilient communities.
Americares will continue to adjust its responses to these crises as needed to ensure the short- and long-term needs of survivors are met.