Written by Tiffany Gonzalez, South Florida Public Affairs Team

When Typhoon Halong swept through western Alaska, entire villages were devastated. Homes washed away, families displaced, and communities left to rebuild from the ground up. In moments like these, the American Red Cross steps in to bring comfort, care, and hope. Hundreds of trained volunteers from across the country have deployed to help, including one of South Florida’s very own: Susan Gatzert-Snyde, a Disaster Mental Health volunteer.

Susan is currently on the ground in Alaska serving as a Staff Mental Health Coordinator, supporting Red Cross teams both in the Command Center and out in the field. Her role is to ensure that the responders themselves, those working long hours to help others, also receive the emotional care and grounding they need to keep going.

“It is a fabulous experience learning about the culture here,” Susan shared. “We are delivering platinum care and being culturally sensitive. Each one of these drawings from the children at the shelter conveys a heartwarming story.”

In addition to supporting staff and volunteers in the shelters, Susan collaborates closely with several key teams including Disaster Health Services and Disaster Spiritual Care. Together, they’re ensuring every person affected—whether a survivor, volunteer, or partner—receives compassion and understanding in a moment of incredible loss.

This disaster operation has been particularly special, Susan said, because of the Red Cross’s focus on cultural awareness and respect for Alaska’s Indigenous communities. “We’ve had two wonderful programs to increase our understanding of the population we’re working with,” she explained. “It’s changing the way we approach care, and it’s truly inspiring.”