Caribbean Hurricanes
Photo: CIRA /
As the world's humanitarian leader, the United States remains committed to providing life- saving assistance when a disaster strikes. The U.S. Government remains in close communication with government and civil-society officials throughout the region to coordinate relief efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by Hurricanes Irma, Jose, and Maria.
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
U.S. Response to Caribbean Hurricanes Infographic 
(pdf - 1 MB)
USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) on September 7 as Hurricane Irma - the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record – barreled across the Caribbean. Disaster experts on the DART were deployed to the region ahead of the storm, and began immediately coordinating with local authorities and humanitarian organizations in St. Martin, Antigua and Barbuda, and The Bahamas to deliver vital humanitarian assistance. Less than two weeks after Hurricane Irma hit, the region braced for more extreme weather as Hurricane Maria reached the eastern Caribbean, making landfall over Dominica on September 18. USAID’s DART remains activated and is closely coordinating response activities with local authorities and partners on the ground. Locally-based USAID disaster experts stationed throughout the Caribbean continue to liaise with their local government and emergency management agencies to report on conditions on the ground and advise on humanitarian needs.
As we help our neighbors in Mexico and the Caribbean, I want to make clear that America is and will remain the world’s leading humanitarian donor. Whether it’s responding to an earthquake, drought, or conflict, America is committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with people in their hour of need. It is who we are as Americans. While we respond to immediate crises, America is also providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to those suffering as the result of famine, food insecurity, drought, and conflict, all of which is driving the greatest movement of people since World War II. In the face of this unprecedented need, we are continuing to show leadership.
Hurricane Maria passed directly over the island of Dominica on the night of September 18 as a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Widespread communications outages have hampered efforts to verify conditions on Dominica, and initial reports indicate extensive infrastructure destruction and at least seven deaths. USAID/OFDA is providing an initial $100,000 to meet immediate humanitarian needs on the island and plans to deploy staff to Dominica as soon as possible.
Hurricane Irma — the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record — unleashed catastrophic rain, wind, and storm surges across the Caribbean, leaving a trail of devastation from Barbuda to Cuba. Here’s an inside look at USAID’s disaster relief efforts.
Hurricane Maria—a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—is forecast to affect the Leeward Islands beginning on September 18, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The hurricane is forecast to bring sustained winds of 160 miles per hour (mph), 10–15 inches of rain, and storm surge of up to 9 feet to affected areas. The substantial rainfall is expected to trigger flash flooding and landslides, particularly on islands already saturated by rains from recent hurricanes Irma and Jose.
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