Aging in America: The Hidden Crisis After Natural Disasters
There is a humanitarian crisis growing in America—and it’s happening in silence.
As climate-fueled disasters grow more frequent and intense, a vulnerable population is being left behind: our elders.
In the wake of hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and winter storms, thousands of older adults are trapped in damaged homes, without electricity, food, medication, or support. They are too often invisible in national headlines and under-prioritized in emergency response plans.
This is the humanitarian crisis Ground Force Humanitarian Aid is built to confront.
And it’s only getting worse.
The Facts: A Perfect Storm for America’s Seniors
- Over 54 million Americans are over age 65—a number expected to reach 73 million by 2030.
- Nearly 1 in 4 older adults live alone, and many have mobility or cognitive impairments.
- During Hurricane Katrina, nearly half of all fatalities were people aged 75 and older.
- After Hurricane Ian, Ground Force teams discovered entire communities of elderly residents still waiting for help more than a week after landfall.
These are not isolated incidents.
They are signs of a systemic failure to protect older Americans during disasters.
The Human Toll: What We See on the Ground
In nearly every community we serve, we meet seniors who weathered the storm alone.
They didn’t evacuate—because they couldn’t.
We’ve met elders stuck in flooded mobile homes with no way to charge medical devices.
Seniors with mold creeping through their walls because they couldn’t lift debris or afford repairs.
Grandparents rationing water because they couldn’t make it to a distribution site.
Our Mission: Rapid, Compassionate Relief for the Most Vulnerable
That’s where we come in. Ground Force Humanitarian Aid deploys within hours of a disaster to deliver immediate, life-sustaining care to vulnerable populations—especially the elderly. Our approach is personal, grassroots, and built on real human connection.
Our programs work together to ensure no elder is forgotten:
- SAFE Camps (Swift Action Force Emergency Camps) provide hot meals, medical triage, phone charging stations, and community support hubs where seniors can safely regroup after disaster.
- Community Caretaking sends trained volunteers door-to-door to check on elderly survivors, deliver essential supplies, clear debris, and connect them to longer-term recovery services.
- Data-Driven Remote Teams coordinate logistics in real time, using tech to locate vulnerable individuals and ensure resources reach them first—not last.
- Swift Intervention Training prepares everyday people to become responders—so neighbors can help neighbors before official aid arrives.
This isn’t just disaster relief. It’s disaster recovery that prioritizes dignity, safety, and long-term wellbeing.
Real People. Real Impact.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, we met Miss Evelyn—a 78-year-old widow who had been trapped in her home without power, medication, or food for four days. She didn’t know who to call. When our team knocked on her door, she cried—not because of the damage, but because someone remembered her.
Stories like hers aren’t rare. They’re the reason we do what we do.
This Is a Crisis We Can Solve—Together
We are not powerless in the face of this growing humanitarian emergency. But we must act with urgency.
Your donation today helps us:
Care more personally for seniors who would otherwise be alone
Respond faster to the next disaster
Reach deeper into communities often ignored
💛 Donate today to protect and care for our elders when disaster strikes at https://groundforce.ngo/donate/
For more information on how to get involved, organize a team, and become a trained volunteer, visit https://www.stability.org/register
