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Babauta flies to typhoon-stricken Northern Islands today
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Posted on Sep 08 2004
Gov. Juan N. Babauta will visit the Northern Islands to personally inspect the islands that were severely damaged by two supertyphoons and a tropical storm within a span of two weeks.
Babauta said he would meet with affected residents to inform them of relief efforts being undertaken by the government.
At least 36 people reside on the three islands, based on recent reports. Agrihan has 13 residents; Alamagan, 12; and Pagan, 11.
Babauta said the residents of these islands could avail of individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as the presidential disaster declaration due to the onslaught of supertyphoon Chaba applies to the entire Commonwealth. “The entire CNMI was declared a disaster area,” Babauta said.
Babauta said he would take off from the Agingan Point on Saipan this morning and head first to Alamagan, before proceeding to Pagan. He said he would then proceed to Agrihan, where he would camp out for an overnight stay.
The governor’s press secretary, Pete Callaghan, said Marianas Cable Vision’s Chris Nelson would fly with Babauta to take video footages of the damage sustained by the islands. The video footages will document the damage and may be used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in assessing the extent of destruction in the Northern Islands.
Callaghan said the shipment of food and relief supplies already arrived in Alamagan and Pagan yesterday, and would head to Agrihan today.
A team from the Emergency Management Office flew to Agrihan and Alamagan last Friday to bring immediate food and water relief to residents, whose existing food and water stocks then were already severely depleted.
Last Saturday, the EMO had to call off the M/V Tenshou II that carried the shipment of additional relief supplies to the two islands and Pagan due to the threat of Sarika. The boat headed back to Saipan and reached the island Sunday night.
The stormy weeks destroyed two houses and blew away roofs of two other houses on Alamagan and Agrihan. The supertyphoon also destroyed two houses and damaged a boat on Pagan. It wiped out the three islands’ crops.
