Prelim damage assessment on Rota wraps up

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who extended his stay on Rota until today, managed to wrap up preliminary damage assessments on the island yesterday.

Torres is scheduled to leave for the island of Tinian today at 11am to join preliminary damage assessments with Mayor Joey P. San Nicolas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, military partners, and first responders.

Torres will also be meeting with residents of Tinian to assess home and residential damage on the island as part of an overall effort to ensure mass care assistance is readily available for residents if the need is present.

Yesterday was Day 3 since Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall on Rota.

Coordination between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense is also ongoing as mission assignments to bring in additional Marines to assist in debris removal and manpower support continues.

Yesterday morning, Torres, along with FEMA federal coordinating officer Willie Nunn, assisted teams in damage assessments. Homes with major damage were noted.

An assessment was also done at the Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior-Senior High School on Rota. Torres and Nunn were able to meet with Board of Education chair Marylou Ada, vice chair Janice Tenorio, board member Herman M. Atalig, and former board member Tanya King.

Torres thanked a group of students and members of the Red Cross Club of Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior-Senior High School who were preparing food for the U.S. Marines who were helping in the recovery and relief efforts.

The Office of the Governor and the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, in coordination with the Office of Management & Budget, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Department of Public Safety and the American Red Cross-NMI Chapter were able to gather everything from vehicles, generators, heavy equipment tires, generator parts and transformers to tarps, portable gas stoves and butane, cleaning supplies, cots and tents provided by the Red Cross. These items were brought to Rota yesterday.

Today, HSEM expects bringing an auger truck, two more bucket trucks, transmission line material, and linemen and water system crews composed of 10 CUC personnel.

CUC amplifies operations

CUC continues power and water restoration. As of yesterday, full power and water services have gone back online to Saipan and Tinian.

CUC executive director Gary Camacho now plans to focus full recovery efforts on Rota by sending additional assets and manpower to assist in speedy restoration.

‘The amount of time CUC has shortened to restore services is a reflection of not only how funds provided by FEMA has assisted in the CNMI’s resiliency, but also an indication of how CUC has improved in terms of manpower skills and strong leadership,” said Torres. 

CUC continues to work around the clock until full utility restoration to all three islands are complete.
 
Multiagency updates

The U.S. Postal Service on Rota reopens today, Sept. 14, 2018.

The Benjamin Taisacan International Airport is open from 6am to 8pm for both commercial and military use.

Commercial vessels are allowed to enter the Port of Rota during daylight hours only. (PR)