Standing Strong: Guam’s Resilience in the Aftermath of Super Typhoon Mawar
Amid the extensive damage caused by Super Typhoon Mawar, the District Vice President of the Machinists Union in Guam, is encouraging residents to seek help from the Machinists Union Disaster Relief Fund.
Vice President Sharon Sugiyama said the fund offers immediate support to union members and their families following natural disasters. Sugiyama has committed to helping affected Union Members find and complete the paperwork to apply for assistance.
Sugiyama underscored the high need for assistance among the approximately 800 United employees on the island, some of whom had suffered damage to homes, and many others prevented from working due to the storm.
“Right now, there’s an urgent need for things like gas and water, and especially electricity,” she said of the damage left in the wake of the storm. “Lines for gas are unbelievable,” she continued, adding that cars are waiting hours in lines more than four miles long. “We’re missing things like ice and water,” she added.
Established to provide swift assistance in instances of natural disasters, the IAM Disaster Relief Fund has been a lifeline for its members and their families in times of need. It assists those impacted by natural disasters, often before other sources of aid can react.
The Disaster Relief assistance program is funded by direct, voluntary contributions from Machinists Union Members.
The Pacific Island of Guam, a U.S. territory, is undergoing an extensive cleanup following last week’s devastation caused by Typhoon Mawar. When the Typhoon made landfall, its projected continuous winds of 140 mph led to the destruction of homes, upended vehicles, and caused the demolition of wind sensors at the airport, which recorded a gust of 105 mph. The breadth of the damage is such that only aerial images can genuinely illustrate the vast extent of the destruction.
The Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero, said in a social media post that the island had endured “an alarming ordeal unmatched in over twenty years.”
In the Western Pacific, typhoons are tropical cyclones with intensity equivalent to hurricanes.
Nearly 98% of Guam experienced a power outage during the Typhoon. The governor told news agencies it took almost two days for the Guam Power Authority to fully restore power to the Guam Memorial Hospital. Workforces are operating on round-the-clock shifts to reestablish electricity throughout the island.
A National Weather Service meteorologist provided a disturbing description of the aftermath in a Facebook video update after the storm’s departure, saying, “As we observe from our doors, what once was a lush jungle now resembles a forest of splintered wood.”
Guam serves as an essential base for U.S. forces in the Pacific, with approximately 6,800 service members stationed on the island. In response to the storm, military officials executed evacuation procedures for personnel, dependents, and employees, dispatched ships to safer waters, and either relocated aircraft off the island or secured them in protective hangars.
United Airlines, a significant employer on the island, has approximately 800 employees in Guam and many hundreds more across national airports who hail from the North Pacific Island.
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Standing Strong: Guam’s Resilience in the Aftermath of Super Typhoon Mawar
June 1, 2023
Amid the extensive damage caused by Super Typhoon Mawar, the District Vice President of the Machinists Union in Guam, is encouraging residents to seek help from the Machinists Union Disaster Relief Fund.
Vice President Sharon Sugiyama said the fund offers immediate support to union members and their families following natural disasters. Sugiyama has committed to helping affected Union Members find and complete the paperwork to apply for assistance.
Sugiyama underscored the high need for assistance among the approximately 800 United employees on the island, some of whom had suffered damage to homes, and many others prevented from working due to the storm.
“Right now, there’s an urgent need for things like gas and water, and especially electricity,” she said of the damage left in the wake of the storm. “Lines for gas are unbelievable,” she continued, adding that cars are waiting hours in lines more than four miles long. “We’re missing things like ice and water,” she added.
Established to provide swift assistance in instances of natural disasters, the IAM Disaster Relief Fund has been a lifeline for its members and their families in times of need. It assists those impacted by natural disasters, often before other sources of aid can react.
The Disaster Relief assistance program is funded by direct, voluntary contributions from Machinists Union Members.
The Pacific Island of Guam, a U.S. territory, is undergoing an extensive cleanup following last week’s devastation caused by Typhoon Mawar. When the Typhoon made landfall, its projected continuous winds of 140 mph led to the destruction of homes, upended vehicles, and caused the demolition of wind sensors at the airport, which recorded a gust of 105 mph. The breadth of the damage is such that only aerial images can genuinely illustrate the vast extent of the destruction.
The Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero, said in a social media post that the island had endured “an alarming ordeal unmatched in over twenty years.”
In the Western Pacific, typhoons are tropical cyclones with intensity equivalent to hurricanes.
Nearly 98% of Guam experienced a power outage during the Typhoon. The governor told news agencies it took almost two days for the Guam Power Authority to fully restore power to the Guam Memorial Hospital. Workforces are operating on round-the-clock shifts to reestablish electricity throughout the island.
A National Weather Service meteorologist provided a disturbing description of the aftermath in a Facebook video update after the storm’s departure, saying, “As we observe from our doors, what once was a lush jungle now resembles a forest of splintered wood.”
Guam serves as an essential base for U.S. forces in the Pacific, with approximately 6,800 service members stationed on the island. In response to the storm, military officials executed evacuation procedures for personnel, dependents, and employees, dispatched ships to safer waters, and either relocated aircraft off the island or secured them in protective hangars.
United Airlines, a significant employer on the island, has approximately 800 employees in Guam and many hundreds more across national airports who hail from the North Pacific Island.
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141 Report: Safety Director for Hawaiian Airlines, Ku'ulei McGuireYouTube 4 Februrary 2022 Sister Ku'ulei McGuire joins the 141 Report from Honolulu Hawaii as she talks about her new position as IAM District 141 Safety Director at Hawaiian Airlines. Podcast Host...
The 2022 Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest is NOW OPEN!
The 2022 Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest is NOW OPEN!Education1 February 2022Thousands of dollars in scholarship money will go out. Union members and their families can compete for $8,000 in scholarship money through the 2022 Adolph Stutz Memorial...
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EAP Directors: Healthy relationships don’t look the same for everyone since people have different needs. Each partner's specific needs around communication, affection, space, shared hobbies, values, and so on may change throughout life. A relationship that works in...