Valley Red Cross Volunteer prepares to deploy to Guam as Super Typhoon Bavi hits Pacific region

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) - A Coachella Valley Red Cross communications manager is preparing to deploy to Guam as Super Typhoon Bavi pounds the U.S. territory and the Northern Mariana Islands with powerful winds and heavy rain.

The storm is expected to bring winds up to 180 miles per hour, along with dangerous storm surge, flooding and widespread damage across the region. It comes just six weeks after another typhoon hit the islands, leaving many communities still in recovery.

American Red Cross Communications Manager Mimi Teller says Super Typhoon Bavi is currently slamming Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and notes the region is still recovering from another powerful typhoon just six weeks ago. She adds that with winds expected to reach up to 180 miles per hour, the devastation is expected to be catastrophic.

Teller has spent more than 11 years with the Red Cross responding to disasters across the United States and overseas. She says this deployment will place her alongside response teams working to assess needs and support recovery efforts in impacted communities.

She says she believes she can make a difference through her presence and support during disaster response operations.

While the storm is happening thousands of miles away, Teller says it serves as a reminder that preparedness is important everywhere, including here in the Coachella Valley.

She emphasizes that communities are not immune to disasters and encourages residents to make sure they are prepared for emergencies that could happen locally.

Teller is expected to spend several weeks assisting with the Red Cross response as recovery efforts begin in the wake of the storm.