Typhoon Mawar: Red Cross Volunteers from Across U.S. Deploy to Guam to Help

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Archurine Mateak of Ipam Taly, Guam, explains to an American Red Cross volunteer how Typhoon Mawar tore the roof from his family home. Three generations of Archurine’s family live in the house, and after the 160 mph winds tore the tin roof from the house, the deluge of rain that followed the storm flooded the living area, making a large portion of the house uninhabitable. Red Cross volunteers delivered a kit containing a tarp to seal the roof until permanent repairs can be made, and other supplies like mops, shovels and disinfectants. Red Cross photo by Samantha Taylor

volunteers distributing supplies from a truck

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Red Cross workers are distributing relief supplies such as clean-up kits, tarps, coolers, flashlights and personal hygiene supplies throughout the affected communities. So far we have provided more than 4,200 households with relief supplies. Red Cross photo by Matthew Wells

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Scave Rukan shares a moment with Shelter Resident Transition team member Sue at the Wettengel Elementary School shelter in Dededo, Guam. Scave moved to Guam ten years ago from her native island of Chuuk. She and 15 extended family members lived in the same house when Typhoon Mawar devastated the island. Scave appreciates the relief provided by the Red Cross. She longs for the day when she and her family can return to their home. “What I miss the most,” she said, “are the cookouts we had all the time. We cooked the Chuukese foods we all love so much. I’m anxious to return home, but I’m grateful for the Red Cross during this difficult time.” Red Cross photo by Kim Mailes

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Red Cross Shelter Resident Transition Team members deliver meals to the Maria Ullua disaster relief shelter in Dededo, Guam. The Red Cross is providing support to the community run shelter for those affected by Typhoon Mawar. Red Cross photo by Kim Mailes

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This is the home of Gregorio Torres in Yigo, Guam which suffered heavy damage from the typhoon. “I sent my family to the shelter to protect them from the typhoon, then I returned to protect my home. The winds tore the roof off the house and then the torrential rains flooded the place. I was afraid,” Torres said. He is originally from Saipan and brought his young family to Guam seeking a better education for his children. “I’m grateful for the Red Cross,” he said. Red Cross photo by Kim Mailes

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Brian Waymire traveled halfway around the world to help on Guam. Whether I go to Guam or any place else affected by disaster, I feel a lot of satisfaction helping others. My life has been so blessed and I’m just grateful for the opportunity to serve. I think everyone should become a Red Cross volunteer,” he said.

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Ellery Paz, a Red Cross volunteer in Guam, is intimately familiar with life on the U.S. Territory. He is a teacher in the Guam school system who volunteers because it sets an example for the youth he interacts with as a teacher. “I was not expecting all these volunteers from the Red Cross to fly out here to serve Guam,” he said. “The willingness of others to help in time of crisis is something that constantly amazes me.”

June 07, 2023

It’s been two weeks since Typhoon Mawar hit Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and many residents, including hundreds of military members and their families, are still without power and water.

It could be weeks before these systems are fully restored on the western Pacific islands.

The powerful storm flooded homes, tore off roofs, downed power lines and damaged water wells. While temperatures hover in the high 80s, people are living without the ability to shower, wash clothes, clean their damaged homes or refrigerate food.

Prolonged utility outages are creating significant challenges for island residents, making compassionate care a top priority for the health and wellbeing of those impacted by the storm. The Red Cross is helping people with medical or disability needs, as well as emotional and spiritual support during these challenging times.

RED CROSS RESPONDS More than 200 Red Cross volunteers from all over the country have deployed to the islands to provide disaster relief for those affected. Additional help is traveling to the islands every day on humanitarian flights from Los Angeles and Honolulu.

The Service to Armed Forces arm of the Red Cross is providing assistance to the large military population on Guam. Red Cross reunification efforts are putting families back together again after being separated by the storm.

Red Cross volunteers are helping assess the residential damage in affected communities. This work will help us better understand what help families may need in the coming days and weeks.

The Red Cross is distributing relief supplies such as clean-up kits, tarps, coolers, flashlights and personal hygiene supplies. More than 5,100 households have received relief supplies so far. Disaster workers are also supporting feeding on the islands and have provided more than 52,300 meals and snacks since the storm hit the islands.

For many communities where individual may not be able to travel, Red Cross responders are driving and walking into villages, bringing sorely needed relief supplies to vulnerable communities. Without power or water restored in many of these villages, Red Cross teams are also delivering meals and snacks for individuals unable to cook for themselves.

YOU CAN HELP people affected by Typhoon Mawar in U.S. territories including Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word TYPHOON to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by disaster, regardless of cost.

ADGP $1M Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Best Buy; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Caterpillar Foundation; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; PayPal; PetSmart Charities; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and Wells Fargo.

ADGP $500K Members: Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Capital One; CarMax; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; Dollar General; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org The Home Depot Foundation; International Paper; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; Merck; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; PepsiCo Foundation; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; and The Wawa Foundation.

ADGP $250K Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; The AES Corporation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Big 5 Sporting Goods; Build-A-Bear Foundation; CDW; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; CSX; DHL Supply Chain; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Duke Energy; Dutch Bros Foundation; Equitable; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; HCA Healthcare; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LHC Group; LKQ; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Foundation, Inc.; Martin Marietta; Mattress Firm; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Northrop Grumman; Northwestern Mutual; Old Dominion Freight Line; Organon; Pacific Life Foundation; Procter & Gamble; Prudential; Raytheon Technologies; Reckitt; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Project, a project of New Venture Fund; Ross Stores Foundation; Ryder System, Inc.; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Santander; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Stanley Black & Decker; Southwest Airlines; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; U.S. Bank Foundation; and Zurich.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.