89 island residents took shelter to wait out the storm

Dozens of people took shelter overnight at one of the island’s designated public school campuses. It was said to be a smooth experience for those shelterees as they waited out the storm together.

89 people were in need of a safe place to wait out Tropical Storm Man-Yi showed up to the emergency shelters overnight. The majority of them staying at the shelter in the north - Maria Ulloa Elementary - as Man-Yi was initially predicted to impact the northern villages. 

By sunrise Wednesday, the skies were still gloomy over the central shelter location. The halls are empty as school was out for Condition of Readiness 1.

Only six shelterees showed up to GW High. The Mangilao campus barely affected by the high winds caused by Man-Yi. A tree was found snapped in the middle of the courtyard, and other branches were on the ground at the school entrance. 

Further south, only two shelterees showed up the designated site at Talo'fo'fo' Elementary School. Ron Meno was the shift supervisor at the southern location, and told KUAM News, "Shift 2 was a pretty easy transition. We took over at about 2 am. So the shelterees are already settled in, registered and just waiting to ride out the storm."

The shelters reported zero issues, with Meno saying, "We did really well. We weren't expecting it to move this fast but overall it went well." He added that the quick response to getting the shelters open was a plus.

"We could hear the wind but I guess because the precautions were taken things were smooth," he explained.

Those in the shelter were asked to follow certain rules as they would be in a shared space with others.  They also had to a 7-day supply of food and water, bedding, personal hygiene products, medication, and important documents including identification and medical records.

Despite the numbers being low in the south, Meno says it was about helping every single person in need, noting, "We just wanted to make that the ones who needed to take shelter had a good place to be at and they could stay safe."

It made for a safe space available whenever Mother Nature sends the unexpected our way.