Tinian mayor gives updates on Champi recovery efforts

As a result of Tropical Storm Champi’s approach to the CNMI and island of Tinian, Mayor Joey P. San Nicolas called a RAC Team meeting at 3pm on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. The Municipal Operations Center was partially activated shortly after the RAC Team was convened. All members of the RAC and MOC teams were assigned into shifts to ensure that all sections of the incident command center were manned in 12-hour shifts.

Throughout Tropical Storm Champi’s progress, the Municipality of Tinian experienced significant flooding and loss of power as a result of downed power lines, damaged transformers, and fallen power poles on Oct. 16, 2015. With CUC and Telesource’s efforts, power was restored to about 90 percent of Tinian residents on the evening of Oct. 17, 2015.

In addition to power, a main pipeline alongside a road to Carolinas Heights that supplied water to San Jose Village incurred major damage as a result of flooding, runoff, and impacts from debris. This situation cut off water supply to approximately 70 percent of Tinian residents. This prompted the MOC to implement two different water distribution centers for home usage. The size and type of pipe damaged along this approximately 740-foot stretch of pipeline is not available on Tinian. Continued efforts in coordinating with CUC Saipan and Homeland Security for transportation of the needed pipe supplies are ongoing and we are hopeful that they will be shipped to Tinian as soon as possible. As we anticipate this shipment, Tinian CUC staff led by the Water Distribution Division, with the help of Star Marianas Airlines, was able to fly over a minimal length of this pipe from Saipan late evening on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. CUC worked throughout the evening until early morning on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, and were able to provide water back to Tinian residents. Unfortunately, this is only a Band-Aid approach until such time the pipe supplies from Saipan are shipped to Tinian.

Although, Champi was designated only as a tropical storm, the heavy rain, strong winds, and flooding created major damage on main roads, homes, and critical infrastructures such as the main water pipeline alongside a road to Carolinas Heights, damaged road surfaces, etc. We are currently in the process of our recovery efforts in three different phases and we are anticipating completion of our islandwide recovery efforts in approximately four days.

We want to extend our sincerest appreciation and extend un sen dangkulu na si yu’us ma’ase to all our first responders, our MOC team, our Recovery Teams, and, most especially, to Telesource and our Tinian CUC staff for the restoration of power and water to Tinian residents and businesses. (Office of the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan)