×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
  • If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
  • Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
  • With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
  • If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
  • If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
    • Twitter (@DirectRelief)
    • Facebook (@DirectRelief)
    • Instagram (@DirectRelief)

Republishing Images:

Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

  • Maintain correct caption information.
  • Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
  • Do not digitally alter images.

Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.

Other Requirements:

  • Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
  • Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
  • Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
  • Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
  • If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.

For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.

Lights Out – Intro: The Scope and Impact of Storm-Driven Power Loss on Safety-Net Clinics

Three-Part Report Details the Health Consequences of Disaster-Driven Power Outages

News

Resilient Power

NOAA satellite image
Power outages across several states in the southeast U.S. outline the path Hurricane Helene took as it traversed inland. (Power outages across several states in the southeast U.S. outline the path Hurricane Helene took as it traversed inland. (NOAA satellite imagery) imagery)
By Paul M. Sherer

Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton devastated the southeastern United States in late September and early October 2024, killing more than 250 people and causing an estimated $113 billion in damages. But beyond the immediate destruction lay another crisis: widespread power outages that forced healthcare safety-net providers to close their doors when vulnerable patients needed them most.

Direct Relief surveyed federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and free & charitable clinics across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to understand how power loss from natural disasters disrupts healthcare for the nation’s most vulnerable populations. This three-part report reveals the hidden health consequences of climate disasters—and the urgent need for resilient healthcare infrastructure.

Top findings among 80 survey respondents

  • Power outages forced the closure of one or more clinical sites at 54% of responding healthcare safety-net organizations (FQHCs or free & charitable clinics)* 
  • Nearly 28,000 patient visits across 44 safety-net organizations were canceled, with a median of 50 missed visits among those 44 organizations 
  • 50 organizations lost power at one or more sites, with a median outage of 47 hours 
  • 23 organizations lost revenue totaling $12.9 million 
  • 19 organizations lost temperature-sensitive medicine or vaccines 
  • 25 organizations suffered infrastructure damage 
  • 50% of organizations had no backup power at any site; only 12% had backup power at all sites 
  • Among the 44 organizations reporting one or more patients relying on electricity-powered medical devices, the median was 20 patients 
  • 38% of organizations reported an increase in patients seeking care after the storms 

Direct Relief would like to thank the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, and the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, which helped us conduct the study. 

*Note on terminology: In this report, “health clinic” or “clinic” refers to two main types of safety-net healthcare providers in the United States: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), often called community health centers, and Free & Charitable Clinics and Pharmacies (FCCs). The FQHC category also includes community health centers designated as “look-alikes” — providers that meet all Health Center Program standards but do not receive Section 330 grant funding. Many of these organizations operate more than one clinic site.

Lights Out: Part I

How Power Loss From Helene and Milton Disrupted Care for Thousands Across Southeast

Hurricanes Helene and Milton 

Filed Under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Giving is Good Medicine

You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.