Caribbean Hurricanes

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Caribbean Hurricanes

Photo: CIRA /

As the world's humanitarian leader, the United States remains committed to providing life- saving assistance when a disaster strikes. In response to three back-to-back major hurricanes – Irma, Jose, and Maria – that struck the Caribbean region during the catastrophic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in close coordination with local authorities and humanitarian organizations on the ground.

How You Can Help

The best way to help those affected by a disaster overseas is to make a monetary donation to a reputable humanitarian organization working in the disaster zone.

As a U.S. government agency, USAID does not accept donations for its crisis response effort. If you wish to donate, you can contribute to the Hurricane Irma Relief Fund at GlobalGiving or to one of the organizations listed below:

Latest Updates

USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to respond to three back-to-back major hurricanes – Irma, Jose, and Maria – that struck the Caribbean region during the catastrophic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The DART – which at its height comprised 54 people – remained flexible and nimble to respond to changing humanitarian needs, with disaster experts deployed to 11 countries over the course of the month-long response. In addition, USAID airlifted more than 185 metric tons of relief supplies, which helped an estimated 83,800 people.

October 20, 2017

As Hurricane Maria bore down on Dominica on the night of September 18, Cecil Shillingford, a USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) disaster risk management specialist and life-long Dominican resident, took shelter from the 160-mile-per-hour winds in his home outside the capital city of Roseau.

October 19, 2017

On the night of September 18, Hurricane Maria struck the eastern Caribbean island nation of Dominica as a Category 5 storm. Maria’s relentless rains and winds devastated the country, killing at least 27 people and affecting all 71,000 island residents.

October 16, 2017

Communities throughout Dominica are receiving ongoing distributions of food assistance, transitional shelter support, and safe drinking water. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica (GoCD) and international response stakeholders are coordinating efforts to address potential gaps in assistance to ensure that all populations in need receive support, according to the UN. As of October 10, the GoCD, in coordination with the UN World Food Program (WFP) and other relief actors, had distributed a total of 150 metric tons (MT) of food, benefiting an estimated 50,000 Dominicans, or approximately 70 percent of Dominica’s residents.

October 12, 2017

Humanitarian conditions in Dominica continue to improve. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica (GoCD) is prioritizing distributions of food, shelter assistance, and safe drinking water to meet the needs of hurricane-affected people. To improve access and facilitate recovery and reconstruction activities, including the restoration of water supply networks, the GoCD and international stakeholders have also prioritized the removal of storm debris.

October 10, 2017

Today, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green met with Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.  Administrator Green reiterated the U.S. Government's concern and support for the people of Dominica, and extended his thoughts to those affected by Hurricane Maria. 

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