By Sharon D Squires

Ann Kuchins’ 1 yr Reflection of Typhoon Mawar Experience in Guam

Ann Kuchins recounts Typhoon Mawar as a unique deployment that gifted her with first-time experiences, some of which she could not have anticipated.

As a Red Crosser, Ann has prepared to volunteer several times in disaster-affected areas, including the fatal wildfire in Paradise, California.  Going to Guam was “the most unusual deployment I have ever had,” said Ann.

The typhoon that hit Guam in May 2023 was by far the worst the island had experienced in the last 20 years, though typhoons were nothing new to Guam. 

By June 2023, it was a three-day voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii, then from Hawaii to Guam via military transport, as commercial airlines were not operating then. Ann discovered upon her arrival that the typhoon had impacted many temporarily housed inside Guam’s schools. The schools soon reached capacity, so they had to close and make room for other shelters. 

It was Ann’s first time setting up a disaster shelter from scratch with other Red Cross and FEMA representatives. They managed to get a massive warehouse in an industrial neighborhood that could hold up to 350 people. It was the size of a football field. Before setting up the refuge, they removed a lot of trash and rubbish.

The warehouse had only two restrooms, so they had to rent, set up, and connect water for portable toilets and showers, which took two days. Afterward, they furnished the shelter with bedding, towels, cots, and other necessities, including food, cooking utensils, infant formula, diapers, and cleaning supplies. Setting up the shelter in the summer-like heat was challenging because there was no air conditioning.

Upon moving everyone into the shelter, Ann said she had never seen so many children and infants in a refuge before her deployment to Guam. She also noticed that the young girls in the families, between 10 and 12 years old, were caretakers for their younger brothers and sisters. The parents were either at work or away doing other things.

Ann, a native of California, said that before traveling, she knew little about Guam. It was enlightening and taught her a lot about their culture and beliefs. Her previous work-life experience was as an American History educator, a guidance counselor, and a technical writer.

After retirement, Ann was seeking a new adventure when she ran across an ad for Volunteer Recovery Case Workers with the Red Cross in 2017; it piqued her interest, so she volunteered. The role involved providing emotional support, financial assistance, and resource information to victims of home fire disasters. Ann has been the San Mateo chapter’s Recovery Coordinator for the past three years. During that time, her responsibilities include dispatching response teams to disasters as the Disaster Action Team Duty Officer.

After the opening of the Guam shelter, Ann was the night shift supervisor. Red Cross volunteers for mental health, spiritual, and health services provided support by serving as shelter workers until more volunteer recruits arrived. Ann was so grateful for the volunteers’ contribution as they went over and above to help manage and clean the shelter. After the lights were out, these volunteers had more time to pitch in to clean the shower and toilet trucks and mop the cement floors. She was also thankful for having the Coast Guard serve as night security.

One volunteer brought some coloring books and crayons from home. From 8 to 10 p.m., the dining room served as a supervised play area for the children, including games and other toys donated by the community. Another volunteer entertained the adults and children with his ukulele and singing.

In addition to the sweltering heat, a few cases of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) needed attention. Any COVID-19 cases identified were isolated in hotel rooms since the warehouse was an open environment. The Red Cross followed COVID protocols with masks, gloves, etc., and had all the necessary medical equipment.

Unfortunately, the population group most affected by the typhoon were the migrants and immigrants from the Micronesian islands who had come to Guam for work. It was a struggle for the volunteers to communicate with them as many of the migrant clients spoke minimal English. One woman who spoke two or three of the outer island languages and offered services as a translator and point person to help people navigate their situation. Ann noticed the culture of closeness and cooperation among the people.

Reflecting on the Guam deployment, Ann said it “instilled confidence in my ability to manage a shelter of that size and the well-being of 200-350 people.” She could never have imagined herself doing that before retiring from her career and starting with the Red Cross.