By Ethan Wong
In August and September 2024, the Military Responses to Climate Hazards (MiRCH) tracker identified 72 military deployments in response to hurricanes, extreme precipitation, wildfires, and drought. The deployments took place in 23 countries, including Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Sudan, the United States, Vietnam, and elsewhere. September saw 41 deployments, the highest monthly total ever recorded in the MiRCH tracker.
In late September, Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation across the southeastern United States after making landfall as a Category 4 storm, impacting millions in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The hurricane caused historic flooding and damage, and over 200 confirmed deaths, numbers that will rise for years. The US military had a central role in the response to Hurricane Helene, making at least 17 deployments in preparation for and following the storm. More than 6,000 National Guard members from over a dozen states were activated to conduct search and rescue, support relief efforts, transport emergency supplies, and support local communities. The military also provided key assets like helicopters, high-water vehicles, and boats. In addition to the National Guards of the six affected states, soldiers from the Alabama, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania National Guards supported response efforts, mainly in North Carolina, which was hit particularly hard. The US Department of Defense provided additional assistance with a team from US Northern Command deploying to quickly respond to requests for assistance and the US Army Corps of Engineers working to restore power.
Deployments remain ongoing, and additional forces joined the response in October. The immense state and federal military response highlights the scale of destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and demonstrates the role of the armed forces as an important tool for the growing response to climate disasters, providing critical capabilities and assets. Misinformation alleging politicized or absent disaster response to Helene has undermined rescue efforts and been amplified by Russia and China, underscoring disinformation risks amid intensifying climate disasters. Meanwhile, the October landfall of Hurricane Milton in Florida, just weeks after Helene (and not captured in this MiRCH update), highlights the challenge of compounding, successive climate hazards.
Prior to Hurricane Helene, the United States faced several other major storms. In August, Hurricane Debby brought damaging rainfall, winds, and storm surge as it moved up the East Coast of the United States, prompting military deployments in Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Later, in mid-August, the Puerto Rico National Guard was activated due to Tropical Storm Ernesto to support rescue efforts and relief operations. Moreover, on September 11, Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 storm, causing flooding in parts of the US Gulf Coast. The Louisiana National Guard deployed to help parishes impacted by the storm, providing logistical support, distributing supplies, and conducting aerial assessments. The US Coast Guard was active in responses to many of these storms, conducting rescues of sailors and fishers off the coasts of Florida, Hawaii, and New Jersey, and highlighting strains as consecutive storms grow more common.
Elsewhere, Storm Boris caused extreme rain and flooding across central Europe in mid-September, especially in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Thousands of soldiers from the armed forces of these countries deployed to assist with evacuations, provide flood relief, deliver supplies, and reinforce flood defenses. A flash study from the World Weather Attribution also found that human-induced climate change made the unprecedented rainfall twice as likely and 7% more intense. In southwestern Poland, which experienced an extraordinary month’s worth of precipitation in 24 hours, the Ministry of Defense mobilized 26,000 military personnel for “Operation Phoenix” to help local communities rebuild after the flooding. The soldiers will monitor flood barriers, provide logistical support, restore infrastructure, ensure health and safety, and assist local law enforcement in preventing looting and theft. Poland also warned that disinformation attributable to Russian and Belarusian services spiked by around 300% at the start of the disaster, again highlighting disinformation risks seen in the United States during Helene.
Meanwhile, in early September, Typhoon Yagi developed into the most powerful storm to hit the South China Sea in 30 years. More than 500 people were killed, and millions across Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam were affected by the typhoon, which brought extremely high winds, flash flooding, and landslides. Vietnam was particularly impacted by the typhoon, prompting the government to mobilize nearly 450,000 military personnel to support emergency efforts. In Myanmar, the military government deployed soldiers to assist with relief efforts and made a rare request for foreign aid following the typhoon, despite years of blocking humanitarian assistance during crises. Given Myanmar’s recent military coup and troubled history of civil-military relations, the deployments and call for aid could be strategic choices to bolster public perceptions of the military and influence domestic politics. Nevertheless, the severity of Typhoon Yagi generated an international response, with Singapore and India using their armed forces to deliver humanitarian aid to Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
In addition to major storms, militaries responded to wildfires worldwide. In the United States, a surge in wildfire activity in August led the National Guard to deploy in California, Idaho, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming to support firefighting operations. In September, the California National Guard was also deployed to support firefighting in southern California, while the Nevada National Guard conducted aerial firefighting against the Davis Fire. Elsewhere, Brazil sent military firefighters from its National Public Security Forces to the Department of Santa Cruz in Bolivia to help combat wildfires near the border. The aid comes as Bolivia registers a record rate of forest fires, with fires destroying nearly 4 million hectares in the Department of Santa Cruz and the country declaring a national emergency. Extreme fires also triggered military deployments in Europe, with the Italian Army performing dozens of water drops on forest fires in southern Italy and the Turkish Army battling a forest fire near Izmir, Türkiye’s third most populous city. Members of the armed forces in Greece, with the support of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, also fought wildfires near Athens in August, while in September, the Portuguese Army engaged in firefighting efforts in northern Portugal, supported by firefighters from Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit and aircraft from the Royal Air Force of Morocco.
Finally, several militaries were deployed in response to droughts. In Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces delivered water to drought-affected communities in August, including for livestock, after water springs dried up. In September, soldiers from the Ecuadorian military took control of the Mazar Dam to manage and implement power cuts as the country dealt with a power crisis caused by the worst drought in 61 years. Although armed forces have routinely responded to wildfires, flooding, and storms, military deployments for droughts have been rarer. However, September marks the fourth consecutive month of drought-related deployments identified in the MiRCH tracker, the longest continuous period so far. As weather and precipitation patterns continue to shift due to climate change, militaries may be increasingly called on to support drought-relief operations.
To see the full MiRCH tracker with new updates for August and September, click here.