Northern Mariana residents are still recovering from Super Typhoon Yutu, which crashed into the Mariana Islands on October 24 with sustained winds of 180 mph, leaving massive destruction in its wake. The American Red Cross remains on the ground on Saipan and Guam to help those who have been impacted by this deadly storm.

A handful of Hawaii Red Cross volunteers are choosing to dedicate their time during the holidays to help the residents of Saipan recover from this mass destruction of this powerful storm.  A Big Island volunteer assisting with disability integration and two Oahu volunteers, one assisting with sheltering and one assisting with casework, are currently on the ground in Saipan.  In addition, an Oahu volunteer assisting with planning operations is currently en route to Saipan and a Big Island volunteer assisting with staffing operations is deploying to Saipan on Thanksgiving Day. 

Since the typhoon hit the islands, more than 15,700 overnight stays were provided to people in need. So far, 173 Red Cross workers have deployed from Hawaii and the mainland, and a total of 350 have worked to give comfort and hope to those affected, serving over 98,300 meals and snacks, distributing over 50,500 relief items like water, tarps, stoves, mosquito nets, lanterns, buckets, charging devices, and sanitation supplies, and providing 3,000 health and mental health services.