Super Typhoon Sinlaku is set to impact the territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as early as Monday after strengthening to a super typhoon with winds as strong as150 mph. The American Red Cross is monitoring the situation closely and has prepositioned disaster teams and supplies on the islands to support people in the path of this storm.

According to the National Weather Service, the islands will start to see the effects of the storm on Monday with winds equivalent to a strong category 4 or 5 hurricane. A flood watch has been issued for both territories as the storm nears, with some reports indicating Sinlaku could drop more than a foot of rain. Impacts to power and communication systems are expected.

RED CROSS RESPONSE Guam and the Mariana Islands are unincorporated U.S. territories and people born there are U.S. citizens. The Red Cross is working with local emergency management officials, federal partners, and other humanitarian agencies to meet the needs of the communities affected. More than 100 Red Cross disaster workers from across the U.S. have deployed to the islands, ready to support shelters, provide meals and disaster recovery supplies as soon as possible after the storm moves away from the islands.

On Guam, shelters open in partnership with island Education Departments, then are taken over by local officials. The Red Cross is finalizing plans to support sheltering after the storm’s impact, working with local and federal partners, along with community agencies to ensure people get the help they need.

FINDING A SHELTER Be prepared to evacuate quickly and leave the area if local officials tell you to do so.

Find information for open Red Cross shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). You can also check with local officials and monitor local news for information on where to find emergency shelter.

If possible, people who plan to stay in a Red Cross shelter should bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, other comfort items and important documents. Don’t forget to bring any special items for children, such as diapers, formula and toys, or for family members who have unique needs.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need and all disaster assistance is free. We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a shelter — just their name and where they were living before the disaster.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Help people affected by disasters like floods, storms and countless other crises by making a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. You can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country.

You can also help by becoming a volunteer. The American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region Guam Chapter is urging community members to sign up to support their neighbors. Get involved by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.

GET READY NOW  Plan what to do in case you are separated from your family and if you have to evacuate. Build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for infants or pets, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.  Finally, know how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information such as evacuation orders.

Get your home ready. Cover windows with storm shutters or plywood. Store outside items, such as lawn furniture and trash cans, to prevent them from being moved by high winds and possibly hurting someone.

TYPHOON SAFETY "Hurricane" and "typhoon" are different regional names for tropical cyclones. People on Guam should follow these steps to help keep everyone safe.

• Obey evacuation orders from local officials.
• Know the difference between a watch and warning. A typhoon watch means conditions are a threat within 48 hours. Prepare to act if a warning is issued and stay informed. A typhoon warning means conditions are expected within 36 hours. Stay indoors, ideally in a room without windows.
• Tune into your local radio, NOAA radio or news channel for the latest updates. Check your emergency kit and replace any missing items.
• Prepare to evacuate quickly and know your routes and destinations.
• Fill your car's gas tank in case an evacuation notice is issued.
• Never ride out a severe storm in a mobile home, even if it’s in a non-evacuation zone.
• Don’t forget your pets. Bring them indoors and keep a close eye on them. Prepare an emergency kit for your pets with leashes, carriers, food, water, bowls, litter, litterbox and photos of you with your pet in case you are separated.
• Stay indoors. Avoid beaches, riverbanks and floodwater.
• Stay alert for flooding. Don’t walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. Remember: Turn around, don’t drown.
• If the power is out, use a flashlight. Don’t use candles or any open flame for lighting.

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.

Mission Leader Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Bank of America; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Costco Wholesale; Dollar General; Ford Philanthropy; Lowe's; State Farm

ADGP Leaders: Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Caterpillar Foundation; Chick-fil-A; CMA CGM Foundation; Delta Air Lines; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; FedEx; Honda; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Nationwide Foundation; PetSmart Charities; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; Takeda; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; Wells Fargo Foundation

ADGP Members: ALDI; The Allstate Foundation; Altria Group; Aon; Baxter International Foundation; Bread Financial; Capital One; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; Edison International Foundation; Elevance Health Foundation; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Fox Corporation;  GE Aerospace Foundation; General Motors; Google.org; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; HCA Healthcare; The Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Microsoft; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Northrop Grumman Foundation; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; Stryker; Suburban Propane; Target; The Winn-Dixie Company; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; U.S. Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Wawa Foundation; Wesco; Wingstop Restaurants; Zoetis Foundation

Disaster Responder Program Members: 3M; 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe Foundation; The AES Corporation; Aflac; Albemarle Corporation; The Allstate Foundation; American Family Insurance; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Canadian National Railway; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Cisco and Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; The Deluxe Foundation; DENSO North America Foundation; DHL Supply Chain; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Dollar Tree; Duke Energy; Eli Lilly and Company Foundation; Enbridge; Equitable ; Erie Insurance; Farmers Insurance®; Fastenal; Grainger; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; John Deere; Johnson & Johnson Foundation; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation ; L'Oréal Groupe; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo ; Liberty Mutual Insurance; LKQ; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Martin Marietta; Masco Corporation; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Mutual of Omaha Foundation; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Nike Foundation; Norfolk Southern;  Northwestern Mutual; Old Dominion Freight Line; Old Republic International Corporation; Oxy; Pacific Life Foundation; Phillips 66; Prudential; QBE Foundation; Qualcomm; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt; Reynolds American Inc.; RGA Foundation; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Salesforce; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Sunbelt Rentals; T-Mobile; Tennant Company; Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.; Uber; U-Haul International; Uber; Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation; US Foods; Westlake Corporation; Yum! Brands; Zurich