By Michael Hall | Senior Specialist
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on September 28, 2022, bringing with it catastrophic flooding, storm surge, and wind. With more than 148 deaths attributed to the storm, Ian was the third-deadliest storm to hit the mainland United States in the past century, following Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.
The storm reduced entire neighborhoods in the Fort Myers and Sanibel Island region to rubble and left more than 2.5 million utility customers without power. Florida's healthcare system was severely strained by the storm's devastation, as record numbers of patients seeking medical care filled local emergency rooms.
At the request of the Florida Department of Health (FDoH), International Medical Corps deployed a mobile medical unit (MMU) to the hard-hit town of Port Charlotte and relocated it a week later to Englewood. The MMU provided healthcare services to more than 250 patients and medical referrals to 26 patients. International Medical Corps’ mobile clinical teams conducted community outreach and wellness checks in the hardest-hit areas, reaching nearly 230 households.
Following our Hurricane Ian response, we are developing longer-term recovery programming in collaboration with two large federally qualified health center (FQHC) networks in Southwest Florida and a state-wide association of healthcare centers that will strengthen capacity for future emergency preparedness and response, and support health centers in their rehabilitation and service provision efforts following damage from Ian.
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