When Typhoon Merbok blew closer and closer to the Western coast of Alaska two weeks ago, the Red Cross was standing by, ready to respond. The National Weather Service predicted this storm to be the worst the Bering Sea coast has seen in 70 years. When the storm hit, their predictions proved devastatingly accurate.

“I felt my house shaking,’ says Amma Stone, resident of Hooper Bay ‘My brothers built this house in 1952, and I hoped and prayed these walls would still be standing after the storm.”

Like many other village residents, Amma rode out the storm in her home. The storm impacted roughly 36 communities with wind gusts up to 90 miles per hour and the sea’s surging up to 9 feet in some areas. Once runways were clear from the water and the winds had died down, volunteers from the Red Cross boarded planes and were off to serve these rural communities.

Our Response

Over the course of two weeks, seven teams, including two traveling with the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), deployed out to 19 of the most impacted communities, conducting damage assessments, initiating casework intake, and gathering vital first-hand data and information that would better inform our response and approach.

“We activated a team of 50, many of which are from the Alaska region of the American Red Cross, and we also brought in some specialists from across the lower 48’, said Bryan Cassella, disaster program officer in Alaska. ‘We posted all along the coast and divided into two hubs as many of our partners have. One hub was in Bethel, and the other was in Nome.”

As with any disaster in Alaska, disaster response has several unique challenges. Every community served after the typhoon is off the road system, meaning volunteers traveled by bush plane to reach the remote communities. Lack of communication with the communities also affected the initial response. As a result, volunteers arrived in the villages without an accurate picture of how extensive the damage was and precisely what services were needed.

“This is a more resource-intensive operation just considering the remoteness of the area', said Cassella ‘but this was a very significant storm so a lot of elements of livelihood were impacted and it’s not just homes its boats, it’s fishing gear, drying racks for salmon, it’s water treatment its sewage treatment it’s telecom systems.”

This disaster response was also an opportunity for growth within the organization of the Red Cross. Alaska Native tribal members primarily populate the coast of western Alaska. They adhere to their traditional culture and lifestyle. This presented a unique opportunity for the disaster volunteers to learn about the subsistence lifestyle and how the traditional methods of service by the Red Cross didn’t necessarily fit the needs of the community. The Red Cross secured a special grant to provide non-traditional disaster emergency supply assistance. The normal cleaning supplies were needed, but the village members were more concerned with replenishing traditional food supplies lost during the storm. The Red Cross provided fish drying racks, nets, vacuum sealers, installation, and other home repair supplies.

“After the storm passed and we looked at the outside of our house, I didn’t know if our home would ever be the same again,’ said Amma Stone, ‘Would I ever feel safe? I know now the Red Cross can help, and I can actually fix my home the way I need to.”

Currently, 209 assessments have been documented, with 111 homes identified with major damage and 14 destroyed. In close collaboration with local, tribal, volunteer, and state partners, contributions from our generous donors, and the tireless efforts of our volunteer workforce, 101 client cases have been opened so far, serving 353 Alaskans, distributing thousands of dollars in direct financial assistance, as well as the distribution of standard and non-standard material assistance, for a response that stretches more than 1,000 miles of the state’s coastline. Of special note, members from our Disaster Mental Health team have been working in collaboration with local leaders of one affected community to develop a series of resiliency, identity, and community-strengthening workshops.

How you can help

You can help people affected by disasters like floods and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters.

 Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

 For those interested in helping people specifically affected by the storms in Alaska, we ask that they write “Alaska Storms” in the memo line of a check and mail it to their local Red Cross chapter with a completed donation form to the address on the form or to their local Red Cross chapter. Find the donation form at redcross.org/donate.

Volunteer to help during disasters

As the season changes, what a great time to consider how you can change a life. This autumn, we want to invite you to Fall into Service with the American Red Cross by volunteering.

As more people rely on the Red Cross for help, the need for compassionate volunteers has never been greater. From helping people affected by disasters, like Typhoon Merbok, home fires, and floods, to supporting our service to the armed forces, you can make a difference. Currently, our biggest need is for the following volunteers:

Disaster Action Team: While big hurricanes and wildfires get the most news coverage, smaller disasters are no less devasting to the families affected. Most of the 60,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are smaller disasters like home fires. As a Disaster Action Team volunteer, you can help comfort and support people in your community by meeting any immediate needs such as food, shelter, clothing or supplies and connecting them to long-term recovery services. We supply all the training you need. 

Disaster Health Services Team: During large disasters, you can use your professional skills as a licensed healthcare provider to deliver hands-on care and education to shelter residents. Free online training will be provided and can count towards nursing continuing education units. If the need arises, volunteers are asked to commit to multiple local shifts of 4-12 hours each. For those able to travel outside of their local area, a commitment of at least 10-14 consecutive days, working 8- or 12-hour shifts is required. Qualified licenses include RN, LPN, LVN, EMT, Paramedic, MD, DO, PA, NP, APRN. Only RNs have a full scope of practice.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, you can learn more at www.redcross.org/volunteertoday