Trouble strikes thrice in the same place

CLOSE on the heels of Super typhoon Mike, which struck Pa lau on November 10-11 with winds to 45mph, Supertyphoons Owen and Russ slashed through Micronesia in November and December, leaving close to 10,000 residents homeless, and wiping out 90 per cent of subsistence crops.

Packing sustained winds of 125 mph, Owen rolled over the FSM outer islands of Chuuk and Yap on November 27.

Chuuk officials estimated 4500 residents were left homeless on the 13 hardest-hit islands Murilo, Ruo, Nomwin, Fananu, Piserach, Punlap and Tamatan in Chuuk State and Satawal, Faraulap, Lamotrek, Elato, Ifalok, and Woleiai in Yap State. No deaths or serious injuries were reported.

Emergency food, water and medical supplies from Moen, capital of Chuuk State, were shipped to the Hall Islands in early December, and the Chuuk State Legislature appropriated $350,000 in initial emergency funds. Private religious groups collected several thousand dol lars. President John Hagelgam and US President George Bush issued a Federal disaster declaration, freeing up US grants and loans for emergency housing, compensation for lost property, and reconstruction funds.

The Freely Associated States are eligible for Federal programs, including disaster relief assistance. Damage assess ments continued into January.

While that relief effort was underway,

Supertyphoon Russ, carrying sustained

winds of close to 150 mph, was bearing down on Guam. It veered to the west,

with its eye passing about 35 miles south of Guam between Sam and Gam Decem ber 21, bringing sustained winds of 1 OOmph at its peak. The Southern half of the island received the brunt of the storm. Flooding from heavy rains and tidal surges in the south washed out roads, unearthed cemeteries, and under mined concrete structures. Miraculously, no deaths or serious injuries were re ported.

Following yet another disaster declar ation by Bush the third for Micronesia in two months FEMA officials called for more support staff and swung into action on Guam with housing grants and low-interest rebuilding loans. Mean while, the American Red Cross was dishing several thousand meals a day to the 2000 Southern homeless temporarily sheltered at 12 public schools.

The US Department of the Interior provided $200,000 in emergency funding to top the State Department’s regional disaster stockpile on Guam for items

including plastic sheeting, blankets, and

water containers. Because of the consecu tive storms, the State Department stock pile had run low by year’s end, and had to be replenished from the US mainland.

By January, the homeless had been relocated to other housing with Red Cross picking up the first month’s rent.

FEMA will pay the rent of those who qualify, until the 2500 families in need have had a chance to get back on their feet. Guam business also suffered con siderable damage, totalling more than $3O million, based on an initial assess ment from 180 island firms. □