In mid-July, Super Typhoon Bavi tore across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific, causing extensive damage, downing power lines, flooding roads and destroying homes.

Red Crossers from the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake (NCGC) Region have joined hundreds of others who dropped everything to volunteer and help impacted residents. Many people have been displaced twice as two super typhoons, the equivalent of an Atlantic hurricane, hit the islands in the last four months. 

Lindsay Farris of Northern Virginia (pictured with Ohio Red Crosser Natalie Whitmer) is serving on Saipan where she oversees recovery caseworkers who are assisting 200 to 300 clients daily, providing financial assistance and recovery resources.

Lindsay tells the story of a woman who she helped on her first day there. “She’s due to give birth next week and was hopeful to get her financial assistance card before her baby comes. She was so relieved and happy to have the help,” said Lindsay.

David Newman, also of Northern Virginia, served in evacuation shelters on the islands of Rota and Saipan to ensure residents had beds, water, food and bathing facilities. Cleanup kits, comfort items and emergency supplies are distributed directly to people who choose not to stay in shelters. The Red Cross also helps individuals with a recovery plan for next steps and connects them to community resources.

The Red Cross is working with our partners to ensure shelters are safe and sanitary for residents, and that communities have the emergency supplies they need to get on the road to recovery. In the days and weeks to come, the Red Cross will be there to assist residents rebuild their lives.

The climate crisis is affecting people across the country as the U.S. faces more frequent and intense weather events. Lindsay and David are just two of the many NCGC Red Cross volunteers who respond to disasters here at home and in other parts of the country. But more volunteers are needed. Training is provided in areas such as shelter support, health services, client recovery care and disaster response. To learn more about volunteering with the American Red Cross, visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html . 

For more information on the Red Cross response to Super Typhoon Bavi and how you can help, visit https://rdcrss.org/4eTosOV