Red Cross disaster workers from all over the U.S. have traveled thousands of miles to help people impacted by Typhoon Sinlaku and more help is on the way later this week after the storm passes.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku has made landfall on Tinian and Saipan as an extremely dangerous storm with 130 mph winds, heavy rain and waves over 40 feet high. The American Red Cross is on the ground, ready to support relief efforts when the storm passes.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is urging everyone to remain in shelters or a fully reinforced concrete building until officials say it’s safe to go out. The storm is moving very slowly and its effects will be felt for the next several days. The NWS reports devastating damage is possible, that homes will be destroyed and water and power could be unavailable for weeks.

Tinian and Saipan are part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), an unincorporated U.S. territory whose residents are U.S. citizens. The storm is massive and its effects will also be felt on Guam and Rota.

FIND A SHELTER As many as 17 shelters are open on Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan in which hundreds of people have sought refuge from the typhoon.

If you are on the islands, you can find open Red Cross shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app, or by calling 671-472-6217. 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.

RECONNECTING If you have a loved one or friend that is missing due to Super Typhoon Sinlaku, please visit redcross.org/gethelp and follow the steps to fill out a reunification request. Tell us about the person(s) you are looking for. Provide as much detail as you can to assist us in potentially locating your missing loved one.

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. We invite you to get involved by visiting redcross.org/volunteer.

RED CROSS RESPONSE Almost 100 trained Red Cross disaster workers from all over the U.S. have traveled as far as 7,000 miles to help people impacted by this massive storm. Along with local Red Cross volunteers, they are working with local and federal partners and community agencies to ensure people get the help they need.

More help is on the way later this week after the storm passes. Disaster volunteers are waiting out the storm in Japan, South Korea and Hawaii and will travel to the affected islands to help.

On the islands, 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.

TYPHOON SAFETY "Hurricane" and "typhoon" are different regional names for tropical cyclones. People 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