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Now a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Matthew is packing winds of 140 miles per hour and expected to stay strong as it moves towards Haiti, Jamaica, and eastern Cuba. International Medical Corps deployed an emergency response team today to Jamaica in advance of the storm, while its team in Haiti is also preparing for a potential response to the hurricane.
The weather forecasts call for high winds, heavy rains, and flooding on islands in the path of the storm. In southern Haiti, flash floods are feared. Storm surges are also a significant concern, with southern Haiti expected to receive up to 40 inches of rain in some isolated areas and Jamaica predicting as much as 25 inches.
International Medical Corps currently has programs in northern and western Haiti. Heavy deforestation puts many parts of the country at risk of landslides, while heavy rainfall and flooding exacerbate risks for cholera, typhoid, and malaria, and could exacerbate already high levels of malnutrition. The organization responded to the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 and later that year to Hurricane Tomas and an outbreak of cholera.
A pre-eminent first responder for more than three decades, International Medical Corps has extensive experience providing medical care and other lifesaving relief in the aftermath of disasters, including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
