EMO: NMI equipped with tsunami warning system

The Emergency Management Office assured yesterday that the Commonwealth is equipped with a tsunami warning system and is ready in case a tsunami alert is raised for the Commonwealth.

In fact, EMO director Rudolfo M. Pua said his office actually received an advisory from the tsunami warning center in Hawaii Sunday shortly after an earthquake hit Southeast Asia but it said no action would be necessary for the Commonwealth.

“We were informed of the earthquake and given a tsunami watch without action necessary, which means for us to be prepared and establish linkage with the tsunami warning center,” Pua said in an interview yesterday.

As of press time, Pua indicated that the Commonwealth is cleared of tsunami alerts and that “nothing is expected.”

“There is no need for action to be taken,” he said.

Pua affirmed that the EMO has a tsunami warning system in place. “If we are given a notice for tsunami warning, we’d immediately confirm it with the tsunami warning center,” he said. “We would then activate the evacuation for coastline.”

Pua said residents in San Roque may evacuate to the As Matuis area; Tanapag residents to Capital Hill; Garapan residents to Navy Hill, China Town, or Capital Hill; and from Oleai to San Antonio to the airport field area.

He said EMO would seek assistance from the Department of Public Safety, whose officers would patrol the island and warn the public of the possible disaster.

Also, Pua said the EMO has an early warning system.

“We can go into the radio station from our office and make an announcement,” he said.

Meanwhile, Thai Community of Saipan president Rian Csaroenksai said that the Thai community on Saipan is saddened by the disaster that has hit the Southeast Asian region.

“I feel really bad about it,” he said. “It’s the first time something this big really hit Thailand, and people here know and feel bad about.”

Csaroenksai, who has watching CNN to keep himself updated with the news, said his group would be sending out letters to various companies that employ Thais to set up a meeting intended to brainstorm on “what we can do to help and assist the people in Thailand.”

He said he will call family members in Thailand for more information on the events currently taking place. He said his family—kids, mother, sister, and brother—were not affected by the tsunami because they live inland.

Prasert Sukhantapong, a member of the Thai community, said the tsunami would greatly affect Thailand’s tourism industry, which in turn, would affect all of its people.

“I just saw the news [Sunday evening] and at that time, it wasn’t really clear to me,” he said. “That night, I learned more details from watching CNN and I saw the effects. It’s high season for tourists now, and this will really have a bad effect. People will turn away because of the damage.”

“I feel so sorry for the Thai people because this just suddenly happened,” Sukhantapong said. “They couldn’t prepare for it and so there was many damage, big damage and many people died in a short time.”