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As Climate Change Makes Storm Relief Work 'Harder And Harder,' NGOs Try To Get Ahead Of Curve

Hondurans left homeless by Hurricanes Eta and Iota this month living in tents on the only patch of dry ground they can find, under a highway in the northern city of San Pedro Sula.
Delmer Martinez
/
AP
Hondurans left homeless by Hurricanes Eta and Iota this month living in tents on the only patch of dry ground they can find, under a highway in the northern city of San Pedro Sula.

Tuesday is the start of hurricane season — and a big reminder, say disaster aid organizations, that last year left little doubt climate change has made hurricanes stronger and stronger hurricanes more frequent. Groups like South Florida’s Food for the Poor acknowledge the phenomenon confronts them with "harder and harder" challenges.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was indeed a record-breaker: the most named storms ever recorded; the most hurricanes of Category 4 or 5 strength — and storms of that magnitude forming later than ever in the season, like Hurricanes`` Eta and Iota that hit Central America in late November.

Scientists say global warming is a driving factor. That’s making international aid nonprofits feeling more overwhelmed.

“I’d acknowledge it does make it harder — we’re all expecting this to get harder and harder," said Ed Raine, who heads Food for the Poorin Coconut Creek, which played a big relief rolelast year last year after Central America's hurricanes.

"We’ve had to look at all of our practices and say, ‘Are we in a position to respond adequately?’”

Food for the Poor and groups like it are trying to get ahead of the climate change curve this year. Food for the Poor is sending more disaster kits to countries it serves, everything from water purification packets to tarps. They’ll go especially to countries whose own disaster services have been weakened by the pandemic.

“A lot of them started shipping in April," said Raine. "We really got ahead of the season. We’re definitely needing to be there for those countries.”

Food for the Poor is taking donations for its hurricane supply drive this week during Florida’s sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness.

Copyright 2021 WLRN 91.3 FM

Tim Padgett is the Americas editor for Miami NPR affiliate WLRN, covering Latin America, the Caribbean and their key relationship with South Florida.