Uncle Sam to the rescue

American Samoa

By David North

IN the twelve days following Cyclone

Ofa’s terrible destruction of the Samoas a number of United States Government agencies provided assistance to the islands.

Encouraged by both Governor Peter Coleman and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, President Bush on Febru ary 9 declared American Samoa an emergency area, which formalised the already on-going rescue efforts. (While it took the White House a week to issue the declaration, a similar decision was made in 24 hours when an earthquake hit San Francisco in October; that disas ter, happening in the middle of the World Series of baseball, was covered live on American television, causing an

especially quick response.)

The principal destruction, according

to federal officials, on the scene, was to homes, the electric system and to agricul ture, with the power systems receiving the most visible assistance. The US agen cy working on these matters is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has had a busy year, with the San Francisco earthquake following hard on the heels of Huricane Hugo, which devastated America’s Caribbean islands, as well as the coasts of North and South Carolina.

FEMA, using the Defense Depart menfs C 54 and C4l planes, brought in several portable electric generators speci fically to provide power to the island’s water system. Similarly, 30 members of

the US Navy’s Construction Battalion (CBs) arrived to help restore power lines, knocked down by the storm. The CBs worked with power equipment flown in such as bucket trucks (for working on overhead lines), augor trucks for making holes for utility poles, air compressors and similar material. (Given American Samoa’s ongoing problems in meeting its electrical needs with its outdated generation system, one wonders if those temporary generators will ever be returned to the Mainland.) For short-term housing assistance, FEMA brought in a couple of hundred rolls of heavy plastic, which can be used either to fix roofs temporarily, or to ereate tents.

Something did not happen in Samoa which happened during Hurricane Hugo in the U.S. Virgin Islands there was no looting of the stores.

There was, however, substantial damage to island business establishments.

Of the 258 businesses surveyed by FEMA, 38 were destroyed, 47 suffered major damage and 81 minor damage, The island’s principal hotel, the Rainmaker, got a burst of business from the 30 arriving FEMA employees and other Mainland workers. It was initially without water, and low on power, but was soon back to normal. Similarly the two tuna factories were briefly out of business, because of a lack of water, but soon went back into operation.

The Government of Samoa distributed food taken from storage on the island; no special supplies of food were flown in

during the first two weeks after the storm. Many banana, breadfruit and coconut trees were destroyed or dam

aged by the storm, suggesting some

long-term agricultural production prob

lems.

The other long-term damage was to housing, with 4000 of the territory’s houses being affected by Ofa, some were

destroyed, many were badly damaged,

and still more suffered some damage.

Exact data were not available at press time.

FEMA has programmes for lending money to families and businesses which suffered losses, with the loan interest rate being in the 4 8 per cent range, and the maximum loan being US$lOO,OOO. The latter limit, based on Mainland housing costs, probably will not be reached in American Samoa where housing costs are lower. These loans are made only for losses not co vered by insurance.

FEMA also has a small grant program me, for low-income people who have lost their homes, with a maximum grant of US$lO,4OO. While these programmes sound promising, there has been Main land criticism of the slowness of FEMA to make decisions on loans and grants.

FEMA provides a third long-term programme as well, matching grants to local agencies to help re-build storm damaged public facilities, such as schools, wharfs, and bridges. The formu la is a 25 per cent local contribution and a 75 per cent federal match.

Shortly after the storm ended, Con gressman Faleomavaega caught a flight on a military plane back to Pago Pago, to encourage and stimulate federal assist ance. D