Hurricane Season Tops List of June Focus Points

Last week was National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Organizations such as the National Weather Service and FEMA focused on being prepared and ready for hurricanes.  In June, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy plans to spend the month focusing on hurricanes as well.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins in June and continues through November.  The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins in the middle of May and continues through November. Most hurricanes occur during the fall months. Western Pacific nations are far more vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms of any kind – Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines last November – is one example of the devastation those nations frequently face.  The United States has seen its’ fair share of hurricane devastation in recent years as well.  Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy are two storms that immediately come to mind.
Hurricane hazards include storm surges, heavy rain, flooding, high winds, tornadoes and rip currents.  When we think about the devastation of these storms, it’s also a good idea to think about what we can do to reduce the risk of disaster from these storms before they hit. How can communities and homeowners build smarter and mitigate the affects of these storms? How do you prepare for the storm? When do you get out of an area? These are a few of the things we will look at through our blogs and products in the month of June.
Besides looking at hurricanes during the month of June, CDP is gearing up for some other important activities. On June 3, we will host a webinar, through our partnership with the UPS Foundation, on the Status of Syria.  If you haven’t already, register here, and learn more about this one of the largest humanitarian crises of this decade.
This week, I will be attending a two-day seminar with over 80 donors on the impact, effects, and lessons learned from grant making in Haiti since the devastating earthquake hit that country over a decade ago.  This weekend, the Council on Foundations Conference begins here in Washington D.C.  COF is an important partner of CDP and we work cooperatively to let donors know about disaster situations. During the conference I’ll be meeting with donors one-on-one to discuss disaster plans and opportunities for cooperation.  If you are planning to attend, please let me know so we can set up a time to meet.  The week following is the 30^th anniversary of Interaction, a coalition of over 150 international nonprofits, many of whom are directly involved in disaster relief and recovery work, and several dinners and meetings are planned here in Washington, D.C.
Is there a question you want answered about hurricanes or at the COF or InterAction conferences?  Email me at bob.ottenhoff@disasterphilanthropy.org.