Members of the CNMI Multi-Agency Coordination Team led by Gov. Arnold I. Palacios meet at the Emergency Operations Center on Capital Hill, Tuesday morning, as Typhoon Bolaven approaches the islands.
TYPHOON Bolaven was expected to pass “very near” Rota based on the National Weather Service reports, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said in a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
“Rota is going to experience a near miss — it’s not a direct hit,” he added.
“We talked to Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog and advised her that things have changed a little bit, and for her team to advise residents of Rota to take more immediate precautionary measures — the typhoon is passing through the NMI very close to Rota,” the governor said.
“We gave the Rota mayor the status movement of the storm, veering towards a little bit closer to Rota, but they gave assurance that they are prepared as they can be. Of course, right after the storm, when we can, we will try to get down to Rota as soon as possible, to conduct an assessment, and see what needs to get done, what the damage and the needs are, including the infrastructure, sheltering and medical needs,” Palacios said.
“The storm is coming earlier than anticipated because of its rapid movement — it has intensified now into a typhoon. [But] we are prepared — we are going to hunker down, we’re going to get through this first and be safe, and then we’re prepared to do the assessments on the islands. There are some people that are going to be impacted particularly in the villages north of Rota. The mayor of Rota will make all the effort to advise these residents to go and seek shelter. They are also mobilizing transportation,” the governor said.
CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Special Assistant Franklin Babauta said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense are ready to help.
“They are here, and we are leaning forward to assist and go to Rota immediately and assess what their situation is,” Babauta said.
Following President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration for the CNMI, FEMA deployed a team to the Commonwealth.
“They have a good number of personnel, and they are ready to mobilize to Saipan, and from here, this is where we will stage and deploy to Rota to assist. They have different areas of expertise, they are here, they are ready to go down and support whatever we need,” Babauta added.
He said they are in constant communication with Rota HSEM and the mayor.
“They are the ones giving us the information about what is on the ground, and we are here preparing and planning…and we will be going down as soon as the weather is permissible for the aircraft or helicopter that can come here and pick us up, meet with them and we’ll assess whatever damage there is from the typhoon,” Babauta added.
