The $4 million U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency National Weather Service initiative includes building design, environmental impact survey, and construction and project management services.
Attending the event was U.S. Ambassador to the FSM Peter A. Prahar, Pohnpei Gov. John Ehsa, FSM Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Berlino Martin, Kolonia Mayor Marcelo Peterson, NWS Pacific Region representative Derek Leloy, Pohnpei weather station official in charge and FSM weather service coordinator Eden Skilling, U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas Ensign John Pouliot, Technicon Inc. president Nixon Merekato, and an Orion Construction Corporation representative from Guam.
During his opening remarks, Skilling explained that the project will modernize and expand the Weather Service Office’s capacity to capture meteorological data in the digital age.
According to Skilling, “the outmoded equipment [utilized] today is being replaced with state-of-the-art equipment that requires additional space and better environmental control [by employing] materials that have a lot of recycled content, do not outgas toxic compounds, and use less energy.”
For his part, Ehsa thanked the U.S. government for its continued assistance through the Weather Service. He highlighted the increased capacity for prompt disaster response with the recent move of the Micronesia Red Cross closer to the Weather Service Office. Ehsa also thanked the U.S. for the meteorologist scholarship extended to qualified and dedicated FSM citizens who will return to work in their island nation.
Mentioning the recent tsunami alert from Japan, Prahar highlighted “the vital role the Weather Service Office plays in protecting life and property…[through its] warnings for tsunami, typhoons, floods, and mudslides.” Noting the importance of the science education required to succeed in meteorological studies, Prahar explained the necessity “to inspire and encourage young people to investigate, explore, and absorb knowledge about the world. Teaching youth to empower themselves with knowledge opens doors and motivates them to get the best education possible so they will have the best futures possible.”
The Weather Service Office in Pohnpei has been in operation since 1956. First part of the U.S. Weather Bureau, then part of the U.S National Weather Service, it is now the Weather Service Office of Pohnpei State, FSM, in partnership with the U.S. National Weather Service. It is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and is manned by 12 FSM citizens.
