Hurricane Ian officially made its first U.S. landfall in Cayo Costa, Florida as a strong Category 4 storm and slowly continued across the state, before exiting into the Atlantic as a tropical storm. Once in the Atlantic, it reformed into a Category 1 hurricane and blasted the South Carolina coast a week ago last Friday.
But Ian was not done. Still full of high winds and rain, it doused Virginia with rain and caused flooding along its coast. Remnants of the storm then moved offshore and formed a nor’easter that dumped even more water into an already inundated Chesapeake Bay, resulting in a significant tidal flooding event in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region.
Photos and news accounts make it clear this monster storm is destined to leave a long and painful road to recovery. The catastrophe underwriting analytics firm, Verisk, estimates insured losses to reach nearly $60 billion. Typically, homeowners’ insurance covers damages from wind but not from floods. However, it is estimated about 80% of hurricane victims have no flood insurance and will face huge bills.
The needs of Hurricane Ian victims are obvious. We Americans are always generous and quick to offer assistance to those suffering the effects of a natural disaster, but “storm chaser” scam artists are already setting up bogus charities and crowdfunding appeals to “assist” victims.
If you’re looking for a way to give, please be cautious and make sure your donation gets to the people who need it most. Here are some tips to assure your donations will get to those in need quickly and safely:
1. Be sure the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. It is often difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas. Check the charity’s website. It should clearly describe the charity’s ability to address immediate needs.
2. “Avoid the middleman.” Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider giving directly to those that have a presence in the region.
3. Avoid gifts of clothing, food, or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need – unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid properly.
4. Be cautious of crowdfunding. Some imposter GoFundMe-style crowdfunding sites do little vetting of individuals who decide to post for assistance after a disaster. If you decide to contribute via crowdfunding, it is probably best to give to people you personally know.
5. There are phases of disaster relief and recovery. Every disaster has several phases – rescue, emergency relief, and recovery. The need for donations doesn’t stop when the headlines do. Recovery will be a long-term activity and will take many months or years to accomplish. Each phase relies on public support and continuing funding for success.
6. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. Scammers almost always do that.
7. Make contributions safely. Contribute using a credit card or check.
You can verify the trustworthiness of soliciting relief organizations by visiting Give.org to access free reports that specify if the charity meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Here are a few BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) raising funds for relief assistance, American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Operation USA, Salvation Army, and Save the Children. A more complete list can be accessed by going to the Give.org website. Consumers can report suspected scams to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker).
Reghan Winkler is executive director of the Better Business Bureau serving West Central Ohio. The BBB may be found on the Internet at bbb.org/us/oh/lima.
