By Emmanuel T. Erediano
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Variety News Staff
AGAINST the backdrop of a blue lagoon and pristine beach, a starkly contrasting scene unfolded along Beach Road — ruins scattered across the shoreline and residents and public servants showing visible signs of frustration, stress, and fatigue as they began cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
“The typhoon was very strong. It broke everything on the island,” said BJ Bernard, a young man who, along with his siblings, nieces, and nephews, walked along the Beach Road pathway on Tuesday.
As they tried to get back on their feet, Bernard said he did not know exactly how to cope while taking in the widespread destruction around him.
He and his family spent time by the beach, looking out at the natural beauty that remained, seemingly trying to ease their minds amid the devastation.
His sister, Vicky Anne Bernard, said staying together has helped them cope.
“We just stayed together as a family, putting everything in God’s hands,” she said.
John Cramer, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard and a Saipan resident for six years, was busy gathering tree branches in front of his home in Garapan on Tuesday.
In the aftermath of the super typhoon, he said he has been coping with stress day by day.
“This was the worst storm I’ve been through. I’ve been through three super typhoons — two in the Virgin Islands and one here. This is the worst one,” he said.
Cramer said he manages stress by staying busy cleaning up his property. At work, he said, crews are working to reopen the seaport, with additional help arriving.
Despite the damage, he said seeing neighbors come together has been encouraging.
“Everyone I’ve seen here so far is working hard,” he said, adding that he hopes water and power will be restored soon.
Parks and Recreation Division Director Mike Cruz said the damage along Beach Road was extensive.
“Man, the entire stretch of Beach Road was really bad. People driving by can see the damage. Nobody was spared from the typhoon,” he said.
Cruz said debris removal operations began immediately after the storm passed. Crews started at the intersection of Beach Road and Quartermaster Road, working south, and on Tuesday morning began clearing north from the same point.
He said crews are attempting to salvage what remains of the ironwood trees along Beach Road. Fallen trees are being piled on-site while officials await the designation of staging areas for transporting green waste and debris.
“We want to get Beach Road back to normal. Once the staging areas are open, we will start moving the debris and green waste,” he said.
Rep. Elias Rangamar and community worker Greg Iginoef were also clearing debris along a stretch of Beach Road in Garapan.
“Everybody has their own story in this super typhoon,” Rangamar said, noting that his own home was partially damaged while others suffered even greater losses. “But this is where our resilience comes in.”
“Now I’m helping others who had more damage, especially in areas like this, because we want to get businesses back up,” he said.
Rangamar said the damage in the area where they were working was severe, which prompted them to begin cleanup there early in the morning. They started at 6 a.m. and planned to continue to Chalan Kiya to assist residents in clearing roads.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
