How to help women, children, and LGBTQ+ people impacted by Hurricane Helene
LGBTQ+ people and women face unique needs after climate disasters that are often ignored by federal disaster response. Here's how you can help.
The destruction of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday as a Category 4 storm, is coming sharply into focus as the death toll has continued to climb in North and South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. Tennessee and Virginia have also seen devastating impacts. So far over 100 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds more are missing. Millions in the Southeast are still without power, and many communities are dealing with catastrophic flooding. Homes and roads have been destroyed by the storm, leaving residents stranded or without shelter.
Climate change makes hurricanes more destructive by increasing rainfall and storm surge, and some research has linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes like Helene to warming ocean waters.
LGBTQ+ people and women face unique needs after climate disasters that are often ignored by federal disaster response. LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to be displaced after a disaster and have a harder time accessing recovery resources. Many of the largest organizations that offer relief post hurricanes are faith-based, and some have discriminated against same-sex couples and transgender people seeking shelter or recovery assistance.
