NMC: We are preparing for typhoon season

Officials of the Northern Marianas College said yesterday that they are taking proactive steps to prepare for this year’s typhoon season.

In an interview with Saipan Tribune, NMC interim president Frankie Eliptico noted that the college is taking steps to prepare for a possible super typhoon, as projected by the National Weather Service in Guam.

“We had engaged the [NWS] and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” he said, noting that the NWS did a presentation on the predictions for the 2019 wet season, which reported that there is a projected 50-percent chance of a more active-than-normal season this year and that this year’s wet season would be similar to 2018’s.

Super Typhoon Yutu struck Saipan and Tinian in late October 2018, while Rota was left limping after Typhoon Mangkhut struck last September 2018.

According to NMC facilities director Vincent Merfarlen, all 27 NMC buildings sustained damage from Super Typhoon Yutu. He noted that there are currently four buildings that were repaired permanently and three buildings have received temporary repairs and are already being used.

By the end of summer 2019, there would be a total of eight NMC buildings in use, he added.

Eliptico noted that he had asked for 10 slots to be allocated for NMC employees to participate in an upcoming tropical cyclone, disaster preparedness, and climate workshop in mid-July 2019.

Both the NWS and the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management would hold the workshop.

“Our team would be participating in [the workshop] to better anticipate what [might be] coming and to help make sure our team is better prepared,” said Eliptico.

In the meantime, Eliptico noted, a plan to relocate the 24 temporary classrooms that the Federal Emergency Management Agency built for the college is being mulled.

“[NMC is] making sure that we have plans to relocate the equipment that is stored within the [temporary structures] into our permanent buildings once an oncoming storm has been announced,” he said.

Super Typhoon Yutu damaged all 27 buildings of NMC. Notably, the typhoon fully destroyed the nursing laboratory of the college.

Eliptico noted that the equipment housed in the temporary classroom tents include computers and other furniture.

He noted that the college also tells students of any changes in class schedules through the student email system and other media outlets.

“NMC is taking all precautions necessary for the [upcoming] storm season,” Eliptico said.