Red Cross Maui Worker Deploys to Assist in Washington Mudslide

Red Cross Volunteers Barbara Jean Eberly, Arleen Carvalho, Maui County Director Michele Liberty, and Shannon Pyland. Courtesy Photo, Maui Red Cross.

By Wendy Osher

A Red Cross worker from Maui is among additional volunteers that will deploy to Snohomish County in Washington to assist with response to a deadly weekend mudslide.

Trina Shepherd, a volunteer from Maui, will be assisting in disaster mental health services and is scheduled to leave within the next couple of days, according to an organization press release.

Also deploying is Esther Lau, an Oʻahu volunteer who was scheduled to leave last night to assist with health services.

The new deployments brings to four the total number of Red Cross volunteers from Hawaiʻi that will assist.

Earlier this week, Hawaiʻi Red Cross volunteers Elizabeth Norcross and Ron Matayoshi deployed to help provide crisis counseling, support and comfort to those affected by the disaster.

Since Saturday, the Red Cross network of chapters across the nation has mobilized several response vehicles and nearly 100 trained workers to provide support.

On Wednesday, the number of fatalities was listed at 16, and the number of people that were missing and unaccounted for had dropped to 90 according to information released by Snohomish County officials.

County officials say the slide area included 59 vacant lots, and 49 parcels that had some form of a structure. Of those 49, authorities say 25 were occupied full time and 10 were occupied part time or were vacation homes.