September of 2022 will go down in history as a very difficult time for many. Hurricanes Fiona and Ian made their way through the Caribbean and the US leaving behind a trail of loss and destruction. In Florida, hurricane Ian’s path was most felt in the southwestern areas of the state where entire neighborhoods were left under water. According to The Washington Post, Ian’s death toll is over 100 and rising in what is shaping to be the strongest storm to affect the state since 1935. In Cuba, Reliefweb reported that more than 100,000 homes were affected by Ian and at least three people died in the midst of significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, power and telecommunication services.
In Puerto Rico, due to Fiona many families lost all of their belongings in the worst flooding since hurricane María hit the island in 2017. Copious rainfall, landslides and mudslides left most of the island without power or water. Turks & Caicos, Guadeloupe and as far as Canada, were also affected in what has been an already busy 2022 hurricane season.
As devastating as hurricanes can be during the actual event, the aftermath poses continued threats to the people in affected areas. In a study published in the New England journal of Medicine in 2018, it was reported that in 2017 Hurricane María’s death toll in Puerto Rico surpassed 4,000 in the following months after the event. Poor infrastructure, urban planning and governmental incompetence came together in a deadly concoction of circumnstances with repercussions that continue to this day and that kept the island in a vulnerable state to face yet another deadly threat.
After María, a category five hurricane, 95% of the population of Puerto Rico was left without power. On the other hand, Fiona, a category one hurricane, left 100% of the population of Puerto Rico without power. Clearly, the hurricane was not the main problem. While natural disasters such as hurricanes do great damage, it seems that unnatural circumstances such as negligence and unpreparedness exist in a category of their own.
In a recent conversation with NPR, Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Arsht-Rockefeller Resilience Center, said that Hurricane Ian has been a brutal reminder for the need to improve and adapt construction codes in the face of a rapidly changing climate. New adaptation efforts should include a strong policy stance against rebuilding in high risk areas. Natural disasters expose our inadequacies when it comes to prevention, preparedness, overall urban planning and most importantly the assessment of vulnerability in our communities. Many of the people affected in Fort Myers were socioeconomically vulnerable and as in other states throughout the nation, people with less access and privilege can end up living in high risk areas.
However, a strong policy change that prevents construction from happening in vulnerable areas without a dignified housing plan can be as violent for communities as rebuilding in high risk areas. Housing justice must be an integral part of an urban plan that aims to provide a safe and dignified living for the members of the community otherwise many people will continue to live in life-threatening circumstances.
As we stay aware of the marathon towards safe housing, prevention and preparedness, we have an urgent race in front of us that requires our immediate attention. Right now, thousands of people are still picking up the pieces of what remains in all affected areas and they can use all the help they can. We have included a list of organizations that are contributing to the recovery efforts. Find a way to help that best suits your own circumstances and spread the word by sharing these tools with others.
Click on the following links to help out!
Global Giving – Hurricane Fiona Relief Fund