Preparing for Hurricanes from Forecast to Aftermath 

As hurricane season barrels into Latin America and the Caribbean each June, communities across the region brace for impact. With an average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher each year, the threat is real — even if not every storm makes landfall. That’s why Global Communities begins preparing well in advance, working closely with staff, local partners and residents to strengthen resilience and readiness. This includes not only helping communities withstand increasingly frequent and intense climatic shocks, but also ensuring they are equipped to carry out timely and effective emergency responses should disasters strike.

Local data drives hurricane readiness

In Honduras, the start of hurricane season activates Global Communities’ internal rapid response team, an essential group responsible for tracking weather updates, monitoring local conditions and coordinating closely with community partners. The team reviews and updates its national contingency plans for the year, aligning them with current resources and any changes in local or municipal emergency response leadership. They also play a key role in national preparedness efforts, engaging with the humanitarian cluster system and, in particular, the Shelter Cluster.  

“[Global Communities] has expertise in shelter [assistance] which no other organization has in country,” explains Honduras Country Director Eva Mejia. “So if there’s a need for emergency support or shelter, we’re ready to lead — just as we have in past responses.” 

Most importantly, the Global Communities team in Honduras gathers updated information directly from municipalities about local risk mitigation efforts and emergency preparedness. This ground-level insight is essential, Mejia says, because national data doesn’t often reflect real-time local conditions.  

“We have had some emergencies where national numbers don’t match what’s actually available and happening on the ground,” she explains. “Sometimes we receive more accurate and up-to-date information from municipalities — on damages, people in danger, or those in urgent need.”

Partnering with communities to plan, prepare & Respond

In Guatemala, Global Communities also plays a leading role in emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction at both national and local levels. Over the past three years, our team has provided technical assistance to the country’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), supporting seasonal readiness through workshops, disaster simulations, and the creation and ongoing refinement of official disaster response plans. At the local level, Global Communities works directly with residents to develop localized disaster risk reduction maps and emergency preparedness plans, with a particular focus on hurricanes and flooding.  

“These plans include mitigation measures at the community level and the resources they have available to start working ahead of the rainy and hurricane seasons,” explains Program Development Officer Brenda Hernandez.  

Global Communities staff also prepare communities for potential adverse conditions by encouraging families “to have a 72-hour ‘go bag’ that contains resources and food” in case of rapid changes in conditions, adds Hugo Rene Diaz Cuevas, Director of Operations for Global Communities Guatemala.   

To ensure rapid and coordinated response during emergencies, the team also facilitates real-time communication between communities and municipal authorities. This includes managing instant messaging groups through which residents report localized impacts of severe rain —  information that Global Communities compiles and shares with municipal leaders to support timely, data-informed decision-making across Guatemala.

meeting urgent needs in the wake of disaster

When hurricanes make landfall, preparation efforts rapidly shift into emergency response, especially for the most vulnerable communities. In early November 2020, Hurricane Eta — a powerful Category 4 storm — struck Central America, causing widespread damage across northern Honduras. Homes were swept away and critical infrastructure, including water systems, roads, bridges and health facilities sustained severe damage. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Iota made landfall in the same region, compounding the damage and placing already affected families at even greater risk.  

In the wake of Hurricanes Eta and Iota, Global Communities worked closely with U.S. Government aid agencies to launch the Honduras Emergency Water and Shelter (HEWS) program. Designed to meet urgent shelter and WASH needs in the hardest-hit areas of northwestern Honduras, the program initially aimed to support more than 100,000 of the most vulnerable individuals. Thanks to the dedication of national and local staff and partners, Global Communities not only met but far exceeded those targets — providing access to clean water for more than 190,000 people through the rehabilitation of damaged water systems, and completing shelter repairs and new construction that benefitted nearly 12,000 individuals. To further support recovery, the program also provided cash assistance to more than 8,200 people who had lost their crops, helping families stabilize food security and begin rebuilding their livelihoods.  

In Guatemala, damage caused by Hurricane Eta was extensive in northwestern highlands areas, particularly Huehuetenango Department, where Global Communities staff and partners identified urgent food, shelter and WASH needs. In coordination with U.S. government and private sector partners, Global Communities quickly scaled up operations in Huehuetenango to reach more than 17,000 individuals with cash to purchase lifesaving food resources. We also repaired hundreds of damaged homes and rehabilitated more than 30 damaged water systems, ensuring access to safe water for nearly 22,000 people.

uncertain funding puts emergency response at risk

For vulnerable communities in both Honduras and Guatemala, the preparedness efforts led by Global Communities before and during hurricane seasons can mean the difference between survival and disaster. These efforts are crucial for building resilience, but the growing frequency and intensity of severe weather patterns only increase the challenges faced. 

In 2025, deep federal funding cuts to humanitarian and development assistance are putting this lifesaving work at risk. These cuts create uncertainty for Global Communities and other frontline emergency responders who rely on steady financial support to respond quickly and effectively in disaster-prone regions like Honduras. Without sustained investment, our ability to deliver timely, scalable responses is threatened. 

As Honduras Country Director Eva Mejia explains, increased funding would enable Global Communities to maintain a year-round, dedicated emergency response team. It would also allow us to produce a stockpile of rapid response kits, equipped with emergency shelter supplies, ensuring that aid is ready when disaster strikes. 

The situation in Guatemala is equally urgent. Country Director Mark Valentin underscores the need for additional funding to maintain a supply of essential emergency response materials and kits. This support would also enable Global Communities to lead more workshops and training sessions for department-level partners, enhancing their capacity for effective humanitarian response.  

As extreme weather events continue to escalate worldwide, maintaining these critical resources and capabilities is vital for protecting lives and livelihoods in the face of growing uncertainty.

Through every storm, flood and challenge — including ongoing reductions in federal funding — our dedicated staff in Latin America, the Caribbean and around the world continue to help vulnerable communities rebuild and recover, year after year. Will you help us keep this vital work going?