Typhoon Mawar, in May of 2023, was one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record. It passed north of Guam as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon on May 24, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. President Biden declared Guam a major disaster area, enabling federal assistance to address the widespread damage.

A coordinated effort between the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, the Mayors’ Council of Guam, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been approved to help around 125 physical homes that Typhoon Mawar impacted. The anticipated deadline is November 25, 2023, to complete emergency work.

The project has already commenced operations, deploying volunteers to start the repairs. This process prioritized the elderly, veterans, and those with access and functional needs. The program’s mission is to restore disaster-damaged homes to a habitable condition so that households have shelter until more permanent repairs can be completed. You may help with basic carpentry, electrical, and plumbing repairs in addition to roofing.

The participation in this effort is being coordinated by the California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church. Teams are now being formed to deploy in October and November 2023. Other volunteer groups are already in service and are scheduled for September. Our teams will be going for two weeks at a time, with dates to be arranged by the Cal-Pac Conference.

All prospective volunteers must be physically able to do construction work of any type under the supervision of a trained leader. Conditions will be very hot and muggy with rain.

Transportation, housing, and a per-diem meal allowance will be paid for by FEMA.

To be considered for this mission, please send your contact information to Project Guam Strong Coordinator Paul Lorson at GUAMSTRONGCoordinator@gmail.com.

Paul Lorson
GUAM STRONG Coordinator, Disaster Response Task Force

Karl Ports
Chair, Disaster Response Task Force