Sun | May 24, 2026

PAHO calls for countries to prepare health systems amid hurricane season

Published:Tuesday | June 3, 2025 | 3:27 PM
This Tuesday, August 29, 2023 satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Idalia, centre, approaching Florida's Gulf Coast, and Hurricane Franklin, right, as it moves along the East coast of the United St
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This Tuesday, August 29, 2023 satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Idalia, centre, approaching Florida's Gulf Coast, and Hurricane Franklin, right, as it moves along the East coast of the United States, southwest of Bermuda. (NOAA via AP)

WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries to review contingency plans and activate preventive measures to prepare health systems for potential hurricanes, storms, floods, and other extreme weather events during the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season.

The season runs from June 1 to November 30.

“Extreme hydrometeorological events, such as hurricanes, torrential rainfall, and resulting floods and landslides, are a constant threat to the region, leading to injuries, loss of life, and overwhelming health care systems,” said Leonardo Hernandez, Head of PAHO’s Emergency Operations Unit.

“Activating preventive measures to protect people and health care infrastructure prior to an extreme weather event is crucial to reducing their impact, particularly on the health of vulnerable communities,” he added.

PAHO said beyond the physical impact and infrastructure damage, which often disrupts access to and availability of essential services, the health consequences of extreme weather events also include increased risks of water-borne diseases, such as diarrhoea or cholera, vector-borne diseases, such as dengue and Chikungunya, and respiratory diseases, among others.

Experts say the outlook for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season predicts a 60 per cent chance of an above-normal season, with a range of 13–19 named storms.

Of these, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 miles per hour (mph) or higher, including three to five major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.

PAHO said that the 2024 hurricane season was highly destructive and caused some of the greatest economic losses on record.

It included 18 named storms, among them seven tropical storms and 11 hurricanes, five of which were major.

The season saw several Category 5 hurricanes, including Hurricane Beryl, which formed in June and became the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded.

PAHO said to help countries of the Americas, including the Caribbean prepare for this year’s hurricane season, it is holding a readiness virtual meeting on June 10, which will provide an opportunity for representatives from Ministries of Health and civil protection agencies to exchange experiences with experts in disaster response and public health in emergencies.

PAHO said it will also continue to work with countries to ensure that national emergency response plans are updated, and to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms at both national and local levels to provide a timely and effective response in line with future emergency alerts.

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