Inos eyes state of emergency for Rota

Gov. Eloy S. Inos is expected to declare a state of emergency for public assistance for Rota in the wake of Typhoon Dolphin.

Press secretary Ivan Blanco said the state of emergency will be “localized,” since the assessment of damage on Rota is still being finalized.

Blanco explained that under the localized state of emergency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency may reimburse the Commonwealth for the costs of repairs for damaged public infrastructure in the aftermath of the typhoon.

“The threshold for public infrastructure is $1 million, so I think Rota will qualify for that,” Blanco said.

Houses may also be included in the public assistance, if the house sustains “30 percent to 40 percent” damage, he said.

Blanco declined to provide more details, saying assessment is still being conducted.

He added that representatives from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security are doing the assessment. The representatives are also expected to “quantify” the damage, Blanco said.

He said the governor has 15 days to declare the state of emergency, but the governor wants to declare it as early as possible.

“The governor wants to ensure that help is on the way,” he said.

As reported on Monday, Rota took the brunt of most of Typhoon Dolphin’s destructive winds and heavy rains when the eye of the tropical cyclone crossed the Rota channel Friday night.

Several houses on Rota were damaged, their roofs blown off by the strong winds. Many power poles and trees were down after the storm grazed the island.

In his initial statement, Rota Mayor Efrain Atalig said despite the damage they have suffered, he is thankful that there were no casualties or injuries.

Atalig said that 90 percent of the power on island has been restored after experiencing a blackout since Saturday. Roads within the two villages have been cleared, including the main highway connecting the two and the hospital. The airport and seaport have also been cleared of debris.

Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres flew to Rota Sunday to personally assess the damage the island suffered. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) also made the rounds of Rota with Torres.

Atalig reported that teams from the American Red Cross and FEMA Preliminary Disaster Assessment are already on island.

No casualties or injuries have been reported.

At 8am Saturday, an all-clear condition was declared by the government as Typhoon Dolphin moved away from the islands.

A total of 263 individuals stayed in the 10 shelters that were opened since Friday night.