It’s been several days since Super Typhoon Bavi left its mark on Guam and the Marianas Islands. With the all-clear sounded, Red Cross disaster teams have been able to go out and help assess the damage from the region’s second powerful storm in just a few weeks.

In April, Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated the region. People were trying to recover from Sinlaku as Bavi slammed into Rota with sustained 180 mph winds, the strongest storm to ever hit the island. Damaging winds also affected Guam, Tinian and Saipan.

Here are some accounts of what conditions are like after the storms:

Volunteer and Guam resident Ellery Paz is helping to assess the damage on Guam. In Yona, he visited two homes that experienced significant flooding for the third time, also taking on water during Typhoon Mawar in 2023 and Typhoon Sinlaku in April.

Red Crosser Mimi Teller reports many residents have no power, trees are uprooted all over Guam, you can see how high the floodwaters were, and police are directing traffic as most traffic signals are out of service.

Teller’s team spoke with Delma Kaiko. She had recently moved her elderly, bedridden father from Hawaii to Guam. As Typhoon Bavi approached, her father’s social services had not yet started, and the family did not have a wheelchair or other means to transport him to a shelter.

Unable to evacuate her father, the family remained at home during the storm. Part of the roof blew off, exposing her father and his bed to rain. The house sustained major structural damage and now leans precariously. Kaiko has continued caring for her father in the damaged home.

Red Crosser Cindy Huge traveled for two days to reach Guam, where she met an incredible group of volunteers from at least 20 different states. Huge reports it is hot and humid and the power is out in many neighborhoods, leaving no escape from the heat. Despite the challenges people face, Huge reports they are resilient, supporting one another as they begin the long process of recovery.

Ken Quintanisa is the executive director of the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross. Born and raised on Guam, he has experienced several typhoons throughout his lifetime. With two super typhoons slamming into the region only weeks apart, he describes how hard life is for those affected, some losing everything to the storms.

“It never gets easier,” Quintanisa said. “Especially over these past few months when Typhoon Sinlaku and Typhoon Bavi struck the Marianas. Me personally, I've experienced some major flooding in my home. I have family and friends and neighbors who've experienced far worse with their homes destroyed and some having to stay in Red Cross supported shelters.”

“The road to recovery is not going to be easy and this is where we could use your help,” Quintanisa said. “Visit redcross.org to donate to the Red Cross to support the people of the Marianas on the road to recovery.”

Ed Lee is the community disaster program manager for the island of Guam. He described how the islands have been trying to recover ever since May of 2023 when Typhoon Mawar unleashed hurricane force winds and heavy rain on Guam. In the last three months two more storms have hit the islands.

“Just a couple months ago got we got hit with Typhoon Sinlaku which affected our neighboring islands,” Lee said. “Now we have Typhoon Bavi. That just continues to hinder the recovery on all of our islands.”

Lee reported the Red Cross is deploying hundreds of volunteers. “They’re coming in to help support the shelter operations across the islands,” he said. “We have over 1,200 shelter clients ─ just on the island of Guam we have about 450.”

“So anybody and everybody coming to help our islands, whether it be in person, volunteer support or even donations,” Lee continued. “We very greatly welcome all the support that will help us recover.”

Meet Rocky Sampson, a retiree from the Tennessee Valley Authority Police out of North Carolina. He has been a Red Cross volunteer for almost three years and is making the long trip to the Marianas Islands for the second time in just a few weeks.

He first landed on the islands to help after Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated the region in April. Just a little over three months later he has returned to help people impacted by Super Typhoon Bavi.

“I'm on Guam, currently headed to Saipan so that I can be transported back over to Rota to assist them there with the sheltering,” Sampson reported. “They've been hit hard and we're just trying to make sure that they have a place where they can lay their heads and keep dry. We appreciate your support and help. It allows us to be able to help them.”

Dan Sutliff traveled to the islands from Ohio. A resident of Cleveland, Dan is a retired NASA employee and has been a Red Cross volunteer for about two years.

“When I heard about the situation in the Marianas Islands, I just had to respond because my wife's family is from Saipan,” Sutliff said. “I'm headed to Rota to assist the survivors of the typhoon there.”

He described how everything he needs for the time he is deployed had to fit into a single duffel bag. Everything included his clothing, some food and personal items.

“When we arrive on the island, our mission is to assist the survivors on Rota,” he said. “They're mostly without power and other supplies so we're going to do whatever we can to help them. I want to thank you for your generous donations that allow us to keep doing our mission.”

The Red Cross is sending more help to the islands in the coming days to man the shelters and work with partners to provide other relief services.