American Red Cross Volunteers Respond to American Samoa (Tsunami) cont.. 

If you have been in contact with loved ones on American Samoa, the best way to share information about their well-being is to register them with Safe and Well. (Note: Safe and Well only works on American Samoa - it does not work on Western Samoa.)

• You can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website at http://www.redcross.org/.
• For those that do not have internet access, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register your loved ones. Follow the prompts for disaster information.
• The information you post on the Safe and Well Website will let other loved ones know about the well-being of those on the island.
• Concerned family members who know the person's phone number (home, cell or work) or a complete home address can search for messages posted about their loved ones.

American Samoa, a U.S. territory, and the independent country of Western Samoa make up the Samoan group of islands in the center of the area known as Polynesia.

• American Samoa is made up of seven islands located 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii.

About 120 miles away in Western Samoa, our sister Samoa Red Cross Society is mounting a strong disaster response to the damage caused by the tsunami.

• Initial reports from the Samoa Red Cross say the situation is very bad and many homes have been destroyed.
• About 135 Samoa Red Cross volunteers are assisting with the relief efforts,affected families, and managing three camps for people who have been displaced.
• These specially-trained volunteers initially provided early warnings to people in coastal settlements to stay clear of beaches, and they supported evacuation efforts in and around Apia.

The global Red Cross network is pulling together to provide the supplies and expertise as needed for the affected communities.

• The coordinating body of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world (the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) has already released emergency funds of $313,000 to help the Samoa Red Cross Society in their immediate disaster response.
• Initial needs are clothing, blankets, water, shelter and food. The global Red Cross network will mobilize as needed to fill needs that cannot be met locally.

As of Wednesday morning EDT, officials in Samoa estimate that 60 villages and 15,000 people have been affected by this disaster. Tremors continue to shake the country, and tsunami alarms are still sounding.

Bob Scheifele, a volunteer from the NH Gateway Chapter, has just been deployed on DR 562 to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on Oct. 1, 2009. He will be working as a Masscare Administrator managing the sheltering, feeding and bulk distribution efforts to prepare for a worst case scenario.

Your financial support will help the American Red Cross respond quickly to disasters like the earthquake and resulting tsunami in American Samoa and Samoa.You can donate by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or (1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or visiting www.redcross.org, and choosing whether to donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund or American Red Cross International Response Fund.