Over the weekend, Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc over the Bahamas, damaging 13,000 homes and killing at least five people. As of Tuesday morning, Dorian—which was recently downgraded to a Category 2 storm—is inching its way toward the coast of Florida; from there it’s expected to crawl up the coast and alongside Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina later this week.
“We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of the northern Bahamas,” Prime Minister Hubert A. Minnis said in a press conference on Monday. “Our mission and focus now is search, rescue, and recovery.”
If you want to help communities affected by Hurricane Dorian, below you’ll find several organizations accepting donations for relief efforts.
Chef José Andrés’ organization, World Central Kitchen, provides meals to individuals impacted by natural disasters. Last weekend, the organization announced that they are preparing meals to be served in the Bahamas (and are preparing kitchens in both Florida and the Carolinas). To donate, visit World Central Kitchen’s website and follow their Twitter page for updates.
International Relief Teams provides health support to those affected by poverty or natural disasters. They are accepting donations to prepare 1,000 disaster kits to be dispersed in Florida. If you want to donate, visit the group’s website.
Save the Children helps restore education and day care programs for kids in the wake of disasters; they are currently deploying an emergency response team to help those impacted by Dorian. Visit the organization’s website to donate. (10% of donations to specific causes, like Dorian relief, will be allocated to their general Children’s Emergency Fund.)
The American Red Cross is also accepting donations to provide relief supplies, food, and shelter during Dorian. As we’ve written before, however, practice good judgment; just because they’re the most well-known organization doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll spend your money in the way you had hoped (the organization has faced accusations of mismanagement and failure to get the majority of donated funds to local organizations in need). ProPublica has a helpful guide for choosing the most effective organizations to donate to after disasters.
To find other ways you can help—or to make sure your donation is going to a credible organization—visit Charity Navigator’s website; they compiled several highly-rated organizations that are currently supporting relief efforts. And to stay updated on Dorian, the Washington Post has a live storm satellite on YouTube and CNN is providing live updates on its website.