Red Cross volunteer Tim Rohrer leads a family into the Machananao Elementary School shelter before Typhoon Champi.
Shannon Carley/American Red Cross
For the third time since April communities on Guam and in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are facing a Super Typhoon. In preparation, the American Red Cross has mobilized 90 disaster responders to move supplies, coordinate with partners and open shelters to house residents through the storm.
Maxine Seo Thomas is one of many residents who is seeking shelter again alongside her four daughters and two grandsons. Both Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi took off the roof of her home. This time she made sure to tie her roof down with a chain before heading to the Red Cross shelter at Machananao Elementary School. She says it is difficult because “we were fixing it up and then another one comes.”
For each disaster response the Red Cross has been on island providing assistance to those impacted.
“It’s really helpful for me we got help from the Red Cross” Maxine said. “It was a lot; they feed us, they give us tarps, help us fixing our house. It was a big help.”
After the storm, the Red Cross will begin to provide emergency supplies and will assess the damage to see how the organization can best support the community this time.
As of 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 17th, the Machananao shelter had checked-in 189 individuals. Stephanie Tayeron, the school’s administrative assistant, says many of those coming to the shelter are families with children that attend the school. The team was taking meticulous notes to track the information of shelter residents. For Stephanie, she says, “This is my school, so I take ownership making sure everything runs smoothly.”
On Guam, shelters are run in partnership with the Department of Education. Principal Sarah Lee Valencia says, “I love it that we’re working together so we can find best practices.” The Red Cross is proud to partner and serve with dedicated educators. Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need and all disaster assistance is free. No form of identification is required to enter a shelter, just a name and a residential address. The Red Cross is finalizing plans to support sheltering after the storm’s impact.
Super Typhoon Champi passed Guam as a powerful Category 4 storm with wind-speed up to 140mph. The community should continue to take precautions and can find open Red Cross shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling the local Red Cross chapters at 671-472-6217 for Guam and 670-234-3459 for CNMI.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/hawaii or follow us on social media.
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