Power outages, damage to infrastructure, and disruptions in transportation and fuel systems complicate emergency food distribution efforts during a disaster. USF’s Elizabeth Dunn interviewed Hillsborough County community partners in emergency management, government, nonprofit organizations, agriculture, food distribution, health care, and faith-based organizations about the impacts of two 2024 hurricanes on local food security.

Dunn found that effective food distribution during those major storms depended on resilient systems, trusted partnerships, reliable infrastructure, and clear communications. “The biggest vulnerability during a disaster isn’t the availability of food, it is the systems that store, transport, communicate about and distribute food.” Strong pre-existing partnerships among agriculture, retailers, distributors, emergency managers, community organizations, and businesses are vital to maximizing available resources once disaster strikes.

• Elizabeth Dunn