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FAST FACTS
• Hurricane Beryl, the strongest Atlantic hurricane to occur in early July, cut a devastating path through the Caribbean, Yucatan Peninsula and the United States, leaving extensive infrastructure damage and power outages in its wake.
• Impacted communities in Jamaica have limited access to clean water, sanitation and electricity. The flooding and standing water increase risk of water- and vector-borne diseases, such as dengue and leptospirosis.
• International Medical Corps is coordinating response efforts with the Jamaican Ministry of Health to procure urgent supplies and provide training and resources for impacted facilities.
• 300,000 businesses and homes in Texas are still without power, with low-income communities disproportionally affected. Such communities remain at high risk for heat-related emergencies, food and water insecurity, and exacerbations of existing health conditions. Health centers are stretched to meet the needs of their communities as they also recover from the impacts of the storm and subsequent heat wave.
Hurricane Beryl tore a devastating path through the Caribbean, Yucatan Peninsula and parts of the United States last week, establishing itself as one of the significant storms to occur this early into the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm, which caused multiple deaths, left $6.4 million in damage to crops and infrastructure in Jamaica; many communities continue to be without adequate access to food, clean water, power and other necessities. In Texas, nearly 300,000 businesses and homes remain without power as they continue to face excessive heat and humidity.1 In Jamaica, all parts of the islands have been affected, including hospitals and various health centers located throughout the north and the south in Clarendon Parish and Saint Elizabeth. Rocky Point Hospital in Clarendon Parish is nonoperational, and several neighboring facilities are experiencing power and water disruptions. In Saint Elizabeth, many health clinics sustained severe infrastructural damage, forcing several clinics with large catchment populations to relocate services and prompting the need for additional resources to equip these temporary locations. In Texas, power outages and extreme heat have presented life-threatening risks for many in the Houston region. On July 12, President Biden amended the Disaster Declaration for Texas to authorize federal assistance for impacted communities.2 Families and individuals—including the elderly, children, those with chronic conditions or reliant on batterypowered medical devices—are particularly vulnerable in homes that lack functioning air conditioning or fans, sufficient water, refrigeration for food and medication, and power to charge medical devices.3 Food access is particularly limited among economically challenged communities, as food storage in many households spoiled due the lack of power. Many low-income communities are located in “food deserts,” where there is a lack of available grocery stores and families commonly purchase food from convenience stores and gas stations. Healthcare workers in low-income communities report water and food insecurity, damaged home infrastructure, limited access to medications or vaccinations, increased risk of water- and vector-borne diseases, problems with chronic conditions and increased mental stress. Health facilities and staff—many still recovering from the impacts of the storm and without power themselves—are stretched as they work to meet the many needs of the community.