Traveling to Guam from the American Red Cross of the Central Coast is Devinder Khanna of Watsonville to provide disaster relief as a disaster assessment volunteer to those affected by the severe storms quickly approaching the region.
The American Red Cross is helping people in the Mariana Islands as Typhoon Dolphin bears down on the region with strong winds, rain and high seas. The islands in harm’s way include Guam, a United States territory, and Saipan, Tinian and Rota, which make up a U.S. Commonwealth.
More than 940 people spent Thursday night in Red Cross-supported shelters on the islands to escape the 110 mph winds, almost a foot of rain and 20-foot seas that the typhoon is bringing to the area. The shelters are equipped with generators as the power is turned off to avoid fires on the islands during a storm. The Red Cross is working with local officials and has arrangements to distribute food and relief supplies after the storm if needed. More than 50,000 shelf stable meals will be available and Red Cross workers on the islands and Hawaii are working together to determine what help people will need. More Red Cross workers are standing by to move into the region when it is safe.
