With grants totaling $49 million, The Starr Foundation has long supported emergency funding for relief, recovery, and rebuilding in the wake of devastating natural disasters worldwide.
In the United States, the Foundation responded swiftly after the Northridge earthquake in California in 1994, Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina in 1999, and Superstorm Sandy in New York City in 2012, among others. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Maria in 2017, Foundation grants supported debris removal, rental assistance, clothing replacement, and emergency food. Internationally, The Starr Foundation has awarded grants to organizations working in countries after tsunamis, typhoons, and earthquakes. In 2013, the Foundation provided significant support to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded, which claimed thousands of lives. Through a partnership with the U.S.-Philippines Society, the Foundation funded emergency relief kits, food, and temporary shelter assistance for those in affected areas.
In addition to direct support for disaster relief and rebuilding, the Foundation has provided support to help understand the fiscal consequences of natural disasters, including examining the costs of disaster recovery, insurance policies, and strategies for governments to manage the economic fallout from disasters.