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Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Team is on the ground in Florida responding to urgent needs in the wake of Hurricane Milton. We are coordinating with local partners to ensure that our medicine, water, and hygiene supply distributions reach the most affected communities.
Key Updates
- Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota, Florida as a Category 3 storm, bringing up to 18 inches of rain, causing flash floods, and spurring tornadoes across south and central Florida.
- Project HOPE is partnering with SAMU First Response to support health facilities and affected communities with distributions of medicine, water, and essential hygiene and cleaning supplies.
- Milton is the third hurricane to impact the region this season, leaving communities stretched for resources and under intense strain while they begin recovery.
- Repairing disrupted access to health care and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies is the most immediate need for impacted communities.
Situation Overview
Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday evening in Siesta Key, near Sarasota, Florida as a Category 3 storm. As the storm approached it cause an outbreak of tornados across central and south Florida that damaged homes and buildings and contributed to many of the 17 storm-related deaths from Hurricane Milton. Two days after landfall, 1.9 million remain without power and communities are still clearing debris. Hurricane Milton caused extensive flooding, up to 18 inches of rain in some areas, and storm surges up to 8 feet along the western coastline. Search and rescue is winding down and response teams are pivoting to longer-term recovery efforts.
During the storm, shelters in Florida housed more than 80,000. Now, the remaining open shelters are housing people who require specific assistance, including those with mobility, disability, or elevated medical needs.
Immediate needs in the region include the restoration of electrical power, the provision of essential hygiene supplies, and reconnecting communities with access to health care, especially under-resourced communities that may be hesitant to seek care due to income levels, language barriers, and/or migratory status. In addition, Project HOPE’s team on the ground has identified a need for surge staffing support and relief for health workers at health facilities in the most heavily impacted communities along the western Florida coastline.