Red Cross Helps on Guam as Typhoon Mawar Hits the Region

Typhoon Mawar has heavily impacted the U.S. territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) with intense winds, flooding rain and a life-threatening storm surge.

Mawar is projected to be the largest, strongest storm to strike the region in two decades. Guam has a population of more than 150,000 people, many of whom live in coastal communities. Most of Guam is without power as sustained 140 mph winds whip across the island. Damage on Guam could be devastating. More than 40,000 homes built with lighter materials could see considerable damage. Electricity, water and communications (including internet services) may be unavailable for days and perhaps weeks after the storm passes.

Guam and CNMI partner with island Education Departments to open shelters during emergencies. Hundreds of people have already sought refuge from Mawar in shelters and that number is expected to rise.

There are several major U.S. military facilities on Guam which are also affected. All military aircraft either left the island before the storm or were placed in protective hangars. Most military ships left as well.

RED CROSS RESPONSE The American Red Cross in Guam is working with officials and partners to provide life-sustaining assistance to people impacted by this devastating storm and more trained disaster workers and relief supplies are on the way.

The Red Cross has relief items on the island and staged in strategic locations in preparation for this storm, including water, shelf-stable meals, clean-up kits, tarps and hygiene supplies. Nationally, a disaster leadership team is on Guam and as many as 200 trained disaster workers and more emergency supplies will be deployed to the island as soon as travel is possible.

The Red Cross will work with officials to coordinate the relief response, supporting sheltering and feeding operations, damage assessment and distribution of relief supplies.

WHAT YOU CAN DO Help people affected by Typhoon Mawar in U.S. territories including Guam. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS, or text the word TYPHOON to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

AFTER THE STORM Listen to officials and don’t attempt to return home until they say it is safe to do so. The Red Cross also has these steps people can take to help them stay safe after the storm:

• Turn Around! Don’t Drown! Never walk, swim, or try to drive through floodwater.
• If your home was damaged by winds or flooding after the storm, it should be carefully inspected and thoroughly cleaned.
• When in doubt, throw it out! Throw out food that got wet or warm.
• Avoid drinking tap water until local officials say it is safe.
• Avoid damaged or fallen power lines, poles, and downed wires.
• Stay away from floodwaters. Beware of snakes, insects and other animals that may be in or around floodwaters and your home.
• Keep children and pets away from hazardous sites and floodwaters.
• Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices should never be used inside a home, basement, garage, tent, or camper – or even outside near an open window.
• Those impacted by the storm can download the free Red Cross First Aid app to know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.
• Do not use water that could be contaminated to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food, wash hands, make ice or make baby formula.
• Offer to help people who require special assistance including older adults, those without transportation, large families, people with disabilities and the people who care for them.
• If power lines are down outside your home, do not step in puddles or standing water. Report them immediately to the power company.
• If any gas or electrical appliances were flooded, don’t use them until they have been checked for safety.
• Dispose of any food that has come into contact with flood water.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by disaster, regardless of cost.

ADGP $1M Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Best Buy; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Caterpillar Foundation; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; PayPal; PetSmart Charities; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and Wells Fargo.

ADGP $500K Members: Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Capital One; CarMax; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; Dollar General; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org The Home Depot Foundation; International Paper; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; Merck; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; PepsiCo Foundation; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; and The Wawa Foundation.

ADGP $250K Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; The AES Corporation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Big 5 Sporting Goods; Build-A-Bear Foundation; CDW; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; CSX; DHL Supply Chain; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Duke Energy; Dutch Bros Foundation; Equitable; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; HCA Healthcare; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LHC Group; LKQ; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Foundation, Inc.; Martin Marietta; Mattress Firm; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Northrop Grumman; Northwestern Mutual; Old Dominion Freight Line; Organon; Pacific Life Foundation; Procter & Gamble; Prudential; Raytheon Technologies; Reckitt; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Project, a project of New Venture Fund; Ross Stores Foundation; Ryder System, Inc.; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Santander; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Stanley Black & Decker; Southwest Airlines; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; U.S. Bank Foundation; and Zurich.