JIC Recovery Release No. 101 - Final American Red Cross Shelter Closed - GHS OCD

The final American Red Cross (ARC) Tier III shelter at the Astumbo Gym closed today after the last remaining residents were able to transition out of the shelter.

Individuals and families were assessed on a case-by-case basis to reach short-term and long-term solutions such as returning home after minimal repairs, availing of the RISEUP temporary roof mission, or the temporary modular sheltering solutions requested from the government of Guam through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or the partnerships with the Mayors’ Council of Guam (MCOG), Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA), and the Office of Homelessness Assistance and Poverty Prevention (OHAPP).

“We are deeply grateful to the American Red Cross and their team of volunteers for working with our local government and community partners to operate three emergency shelters and provide a safe haven for our families left displaced by Typhoon Mawar,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “We also extend our thanks to FEMA, who arrived prior to Mawar’s landfall ready to provide the support and staffing for critical missions that made so many of these homecomings possible. While we close the chapter on this part of our response efforts, our work continues as we look towards long-term solutions for the island’s most vulnerable.”

“It was a long period where families were able to utilize the shelter in order to stay safe,” said Mayor Melissa Savares, Dededo Mayor. “Now that everyone has moved to a home or a temporary location until they can get their home back in order, we are thankful for this transition so that they’re able to be with their families in a home rather than a shelter.”

“The Red Cross was honored to be a part of this important operation to help the community recover from Typhoon Mawar,” said Laforice Nealy, ARC Job Director for Typhoon Mawar Response. “We appreciate the partnership with the Governor, the Mayor, and other community partners to help bring this part of the recovery to a successful close.”

Visit the following links for the latest information:

Governor’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govlouguam
GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC Recovery Release No. 101 - Final American Red Cross Shelter Closed