THE Northern Marianas government may request President Bush to declare Rota a disaster area to ensure that federal funds will be funneled into the island which suffered agricultural and structural damages caused by typhoon Chataan.
Chataan’s closest approach to Rota and Guam on Friday morning brought winds of up to 110 miles per hour and gusts of up to 120 mph, according to the Emergency Management Office and the National Weather Service on Guam.
Despite pounding the islands with damaging winds, torrential rains and large ocean swells, CNMI officials were thankful that the typhoon did not claim lives nor injured people.
Acting Gov. Diego T. Benavente, in an interview, said he visited Rota to personally assess the destruction brought by the year’s first major typhoon to hit the Marianas.
“The damages on Rota are too much to ignore, especially on crops and farm lands. We also saw rooftops blown away, and roads that were full of debris and fallen trees. The power was scheduled to go back on line on Saturday night,” Benavente told Variety yesterday.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona said they may ask Guam Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez to add Rota in his request to declare Guam as a disaster area so that federal aid will be made available to affected residents and businesses.
Manglona, R-Rota, said as of Sunday, the initial assessment of Chataan’s damages could amount to $1 million.
“If Rota can piggy bank on Governor Gutierrez’s request, then we would do that. But we still have to wait for the complete assessment report which may be out on Monday,” Manglona said.
Government officials were also ordered to closely monitor their expenditures related to cleanup, repairs and recovery.
This would ensure reimbursements if federal funding comes in, authorities said.
Benavente, in a separate statement, vowed to find resources that could assist in the recovery efforts.
He ordered a team of experts from Saipan to conduct a complete damage assessment on Rota.
There will be similar assessments on Tinian and Saipan.
Public utilities like water and power had been 95 percent restored on Rota by the time of Benavente’s visit, and were expected to be fully operational on Saturday night.
Benavente toured Rota with Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona, EMO Director Rudolfo M. Pua, federal grants coordinator Vicky Villagomez and the island’s resident department heads.
More than 300 individuals on Saipan sought temporary shelters at government-designated evacuation centers between Thursday night and Friday afternoon.
Four of the nine designated shelters were occupied.
Jess Sanchez, disaster coordinator of the Public School System, said majority or 92 Saipan evacuees were brought to Garapan Elementary School.
The rest were brought to Oleai Elementary School, Koblerville Elementary School and Marianas High School.
After Benavente declared an “all clear” condition for Saipan and Tinian at 1 p.m. on Friday, the evacuees went back to their homes.
On Rota, about 20 individuals were brought to evacuation centers as strong winds started to hit the island.
Dr. Richard Brostrom, medical director of the Department of Public Health, said there had been no typhoon-related injuries reported to the Commonwealth Health Center.
The low pressure right before and during the typhoon, however, induced labor and delivery among pregnant women.
Brostrom said on July 3, there were 10 babies born at CHC; four on July 4; one on July 5; one on July 6; and one so far as of Sunday morning.
Benavente expressed satisfaction with the Rota government agencies’ responses to the typhoon.
“They are definitely on top of things. It is important that we work together, that is why I was there with my staff. We needed to make these assessments as soon as possible,” said Benavente.
Pua said the cleanup, repairs and recovery by various agencies, including the Department of Public Works, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the Mayor’s Offices of Rota, Saipan and Tinian will continue in the next few days.
These agencies’ personnel have been dispatched to ensure that Rota, Saipan and Tinian roads are cleared of debris and that power and water services continue.
CUC had to shut down all power services on Rota as the winds exceeded 65 mph, Benavente said.
The Rota mayor is spearheading the cleanup and recovery efforts on the island.
On Saipan, several power outages were also experienced, but not one was considered major.
Continental Micronesia resumed flights on Friday night.
Ferry trips between Managaha, Tinian and Saipan also resumed.
Government and private business offices, except “essential” CNMI agencies, were closed on Thursday and Friday.
After almost three days of experiencing damaging winds and heavy rainshowers, an “all clear” condition was declared on Rota Friday night.
As of 7 p.m. on Friday, Chataan was located 140 statute miles northwest of Rota and moving west-northwest at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph with higher gusts.
Chataan killed more than 30 people in Chuuk due mainly to mudslides, while hundreds more were injured and left homeless.
Chuuk Gov. Dr. Ansito Walter declared the island under a state of emergency last week.
