State of emergency declared

Gov. Juan N. Babauta declared a state of emergency yesterday “to mobilize resources” in response to the damage wrought by Typhoon Nabi in the Commonwealth. At least six houses on Saipan were reported destroyed, while 109 people remained at emergency shelters, according to the Emergency Management Office yesterday.

Babauta issued the emergency declaration through Executive Order No. 0502.

Governor’s authorized representative Vicky Villagomez said the situation warrants the emergency declaration, noting that, while some houses sustained minor damage only, there were some that were totally destroyed.

She said there are still 109 evacuees in two temporary shelters on Saipan: 98 in Ada Gym and 11 at the Tanapag Youth Center. As of Thursday morning, the number of evacuees in different schools and temporary shelters totaled 765. Yesterday afternoon, the number went down to 109.

Rota recorded 36 evacuees while Tinian had 5. As of yesterday afternoon, all of them had returned home.

“Others [on Saipan] went home, which is good news but others have to stay back due to damaged houses. We saw houses where the entire roof was blown away. Some houses were totally torn down,” Villagomez said.

All seaports in the CNMI remained closed until yesterday due to hazardous surf condition, even as the intensifying typhoon moved away from the Northern Marianas early yesterday morning.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta declared an “all clear” condition for the CNMI’s inhabited islands at 5am yesterday. At that time, the EMO said Nabi, which was packing 120mph winds, no longer posed a threat to the islands.

The EMO located Nabi at about 250 miles west-northwest of Saipan, 245 miles west-northwest of Tinian and 265 miles northwest of Rota, 230 miles west-southwest of Alamagan and Pagan, and 250 miles west-southwest of Agrihan. It continued to move at 13mph to the west-northwest, away from the Marianas.

Government and private offices resumed operations yesterday. Some offices, though, had to cut their working hours short due to power outages. Classes in public schools will resume today, except at the Koblerville Elementary School, Saipan Southern High School and Marianas High School, which still do not have a power supply.

Government personnel also began to clear Saipan’s roads of debris, while airline carriers resumed inter-island and international flights to ferry hundreds of stranded passengers.

Six homes destroyed

EMO spokesman Ben Cepeda said six residents in Navy Hill, Oleai, Afetnas, Kagman III, and Koblerville informed the agency that their houses were destroyed. Cepeda said the government’s damage assessment teams have been dispatched to conduct preliminary work.

Acting EMO director Mark Pangelinan asked the American Red Cross-CNMI Chapter to assist the government in mass feeding the remaining evacuees. ARC executive director John Hirsh said the request would be forwarded to the Red Cross’ California headquarters for approval.

Hirsh added, though, that the ARC has dispatched some 30 volunteers since yesterday morning to conduct preliminary assessment of the damage.

Public Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider would also dispatch medical staff to the shelters, according to EMO’s Cepeda.

Nabi’s eye came as close as 35 miles north-northeast of Saipan at 12 noon Wednesday, with winds of up to 85mphs. Its slow forward velocity allowed it to gain further strength while moving away from the islands.

Villagomez said local authorities have yet to make a preliminary report on the actual damage of the typhoon CNMI-wide. She said the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs is in charge of assessing the extent of the damage to homes.

Villagomez said that public agencies were also are asked to submit individual damage assessment to public properties or damage to facility. Five Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives and two from the Small Business Administration will be arriving on Saipan tomorrow to help in the assessment, she added.

Villagomez said that, if the CNMI meets the federal threshold, it would submit an application for any federal assistance.

In his executive order declaring the state of emergency, Babauta said the move is necessary for the Commonwealth government “to identify and mobilize resources in response to the damage caused by Typhoon Nabi, which has created a ‘disaster’ in the Commonwealth as defined in 3 CMC section 5114 (a).”

The law defines “disaster” as “occurrence or imminent threat of a widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including but not limited to typhoons, tornadoes, storms…requiring emergency action to avert danger or damage…which, in the determination of the governor is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant assistance by the Commonwealth to supplement the efforts and available resources…”

Seaports closed until further notice

CNMI airports resumed normal operations as Typhoon Nabi moved away from the Marianas yesterday morning, but the seaports will remain closed until further notice, according to the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

CPA executive director Carlos Salas said the first flight departed the Saipan International Airport at 9am. Some of the airlines had to operate extra flights for the passengers who were stranded on the island due to the cancellation of international and commuter service on Wednesday, he said.

However, the seaports will remain closed for business until the U.S. Coast Guard completes its assessment of navigational aids at the channel. “They’re making sure that buoys and other aids are in their proper place. They could not finish today (Thursday) due to rough seas. Hopefully, the weather will be better tomorrow (Friday),” Salas said.

He also reported that CPA properties did not suffer any major damage from the typhoon. “There are some damages, but they’re not significant enough to be an obstacle to port operations,” he said. (With John Ravelo and Agnes E. Donato)