By: Kaitlyn Connolly

Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck Guam on April 11 before tearing through Tinian and Saipan with winds reaching 150 mph and causing widespread damage. Steady Meres, a Red Cross disaster volunteer from the Sandhills Chapter of the North Carolina region, immediately volunteered to deploy and help people affected by the storm. His deployment has required him to live, work and serve alongside impacted communities under the same challenging conditions they face each day.

Meres arrived on Guam on Saturday, April 18, and traveled to Saipan on Tuesday, April 21. He joined hundreds of Red Cross workers who are supporting communities across the islands with food, shelter and emotional support.

Meres shared these photos of the Saipan Red Cross building, which once served as a Japanese bunker during World War II. The walls still show signs of its history, including bullet marks that reflect the past conflict that impacted the area

Saipan and Tinian experienced the most severe damage from Sinlaku. Many residents continue to live without electricity or running water as crews work to restore critical infrastructure. While recovery continues, progress remains slow. Red Cross volunteers face the same living conditions as residents while responding to the disaster.

Meres explained that volunteers are staying together in an apartment building on the fourth floor that does not have an elevator. The apartment includes two beds and a foldout couch.

Before deploying, volunteers received mosquito nets, flashlights, sheets and pillowcases.

“So we make our own pillows by stuffing clothes in the pillowcases,” Meres said.

When the air conditioning failed in both bedrooms, volunteers moved one mattress into the living room, where the air conditioning works. Space limitations prevented them from fitting a second mattress, so Meres sleeps on the foldout couch.

“Electricity and water come on around 7:30 p.m. and shut off by about 3 a.m.,” Meres said.

“I guess that’s about as long as the generator lasts before it needs to be refueled,” he said. “But at least we do have air conditioning some of the time. Some don’t.”

These conditions challenge volunteers daily and are also the reality many residents across the islands continue to face.

Across Guam, Tinian and Saipan, Red Cross disaster volunteers like Meres work around the clock. Teams staff shelters, serve meals and water, support damage assessments and provide disaster health and mental health services to people coping with significant loss.

On Saipan and Tinian, Red Cross teams support evacuation shelters where hundreds of people wake up each morning seeking safety and stability. Shelters remain open to anyone affected by the storm.

Despite limited power, water and infrastructure, volunteers remain focused on what matters most by helping people recover.

We want to thank all our volunteers for their time, resilience and commitment to serving others, especially the seven dedicated volunteers from the North Carolina region. Although volunteers face long days, limited rest and basic living conditions, their work continues to make a meaningful difference for families experiencing tragedy.