The best charities to give to for victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria

A woman reacts while she looks at the damages in the house of her mother after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria in Guayama, Puerto Rico September 20, 2017.REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Since the start of 2017, there have been 13 named Atlantic storms, making this year’s hurricane season unusually active. In just the past four weeks, three major hurricanes ravaged the Caribbean and the United States Gulf Coast.

First came Harvey, which killed approximately 83 people, destroyed or damaged over 100,000 homes, flooded neighborhoods, and displaced over 30,000 in Texas and Louisiana. Then Irma hit Florida and several Caribbean islands, knocking out power, leaving thousands homeless, and killing at least 41 people.

Maria followed, ripping through Puerto Rico and Dominica and killing at least 17 people. The Category 3 storm, which was approaching the Turks and Caicos islands on Friday, has brought torrential downpours and powerful winds that have uprooted trees, demolished homes, and inundated roads on several Caribbean islands.

You might be wondering how to help these storms’ victims.

According to The Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI), which is part of the US Agency for International Development, donating money is almost almost the best way to give aid. Before donating material goods (like blankets, food, or toys), CIDI recommends confirming with relief organizations there is an actual need for them.

If you want to assist in person, nonprofits both international and local are looking for volunteers.

Reputable, local charity organizations to donate to after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria are listed below, followed by larger nonprofits that operate on a national or global scale.

Note: It is not clear whether all these organizations will spend 100% of donations received on hurricane relief and associated expenses. But in past large-scale disasters, they have given high percentages of donations directly to victims, especially if there is a specific fund set up. To avoid scams, it’s always good to research a group before donating by checking scores from independents groups like Charity Navigator and Charity Watch.