El Niño Conditions Supercharge Hurricane Polo, Multiple Storms

Warm waters and El Niño conditions have created an active Pacific storm season. Multiple hurricanes have tracked through the Pacific Ocean so far this year, and Direct Relief has responded to medical needs, including in response to multiple storms in Hawai'i, including Kona Lows earlier this year, as well as Hurricanes Lala and Lowell.

The organization is monitoring storm activity this week and is ready to respond to additional needs.

Hurricane Polo

On Monday, the storm was tracking towards Baja with Category 3 strength, and could bring large amounts of rain, potential flooding, and landslides. The storm is expected to track across the peninsula Monday and bring rain to Mexico, as well as California, New Mexico, Arizona, and northwest Texas.

Direct Relief has staff in Mexico and has deployed medical aid ahead of the storm to equip first responders. The organization has deployed emergency field medic packs for Alianza Para La Salud Alimentaria in La Paz to support first responders and mobile medical outreach as Hurricane Polo tracks toward Baja California Sur.

"We're watching for flooding, road closures and power outages closer to Polo's path, especially where they could cut smaller communities off from medical care," said Eduardo Mendoza, Director of Direct Relief's work in Mexico, adding that the organization is assessing needs of partners in the Baja region.

The organization also has emergency medical aid stockpiles pre-positioned in Mexico, each with enough essential medicines and supplies to support 3,000 patients for 30 days. They include treatments for diabetes, hypertension, asthma, infections, and allergic reactions, as well as wound care supplies to backfill inventory of local health providers should access be cut off during an emergency.

"Even when a storm misses a major population center, a damaged road or power outage can cut a smaller community off from essential medical care. We're working with local partners to understand where support is needed," Mendoza said.

Hurricane Nolo

The state of Hawai'i has endured impacts from multiple storms over the last several weeks, and had braced for impacts from Hurricane Nolo, which has largely spared the islands as it headed north and west into the Pacific Ocean.

The state is still recovering from the impacts of multiple hurricanes over the last several weeks, and Direct Relief has responded to medical needs from those storms.

This week ahead of Nolo, Direct Relief shipped out medicines and essential medical supplies to health organizations on multiple islands. Emergency medicines were shipped to Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center, which lost one of its clinic sites during Hurricane Lala and has been using its mobile medical unit to bring care to rural and remote areas of the island.

The health center had pre-positioned medical aid from Direct Relief prior to Lala, and used much of its original emergency stockpile to support that response. This week's shipment will backstop the health center's medical inventory.

Direct Relief also shipped field medic packs for first responders and personal care items for displaced families. On the Big Island and Maui, the organization is providing solar lights and water purification supplies to Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaiʻi.