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NMI residents prepare for howler
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Posted on Aug 21 2004
Typhoon Chaba may find CNMI residents more prepared than they were when Typhoon Tingting hit the islands in late June.
Local residents lined up for gasoline, groceries, and drinking water yesterday in preparation for Chaba, which was anticipated to bring more destructive winds than Tingting.
Johnson Shiprit, a Dandan resident, was one of the motorists that filled their vehicles with gas at the Mobil station on Middle Road in Garapan. His truck already had a five-gallon bottle of water when he arrived at the gas station.
He said that he has already made preparations at his home, which he said was made only of light materials. He added that he was not planning to leave the house all day today, as he would “rather watch his house than go anywhere.”
“Now, I’m going to buy some canned food,” he said before leaving the gas station.
Customers also kept employees of the S.T.a.R Marianas water station on Beach Road busy all day yesterday.
Jake Vega said he and his co-workers have been getting a significant volume of orders for water delivery from all over the island. He was helping load a delivery truck with five-gallon bottles of water when interviewed by the Saipan Tribune.
Joeten Motors, as did other car distributors, made its preparations by moving its vehicle units from the display area along Beach Road to the back of the complex.
Joeten Motors body shop supervisor Efren Cacdac said at least 30 cars were transferred inside the store complex while the rest were moved further from the road to prevent debris from the trees on Beach Road from scratching the cars.
Cacdac said Typhoon Tingting caught Joeten unawares, giving the company no opportunity to steer its products to safety. Fortunately, he added, the cars received only minor scratches and no major damage.
“We were unprepared when Tingting hit the island. There was nothing we could do. But this time, our general manager directed us to make some preparations, knowing that [Chaba] could be stronger than the last one,” he said.
