On Oct. 10, Gov. Arnold I Palacios, Franklin Babauta, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Special Assistant, and Betty Terlaje, acting director of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., met virtually with news media at a Utility Preparedness briefing.
With the development of Tropical Storm Bolaven into a typhoon, the typhoon is now tracking west/northwest and very close to Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands.
“It’s not a direct hit,” Palacios said.” He had talked to Mayor Aubry Hocog of Rota, he said, so that she and her team could take precautionary and immediate measures.
The governor told the Journal “We advised her that some people will be impacted – particularly in the north.” Some people on farms might need to be bussed to the shelter [in Sinapalo], he said.
Terlaje said the CUC is as prepared as it can be to assist Rota, with the line crew preparing to go there first after the typhoon. Priorities would include restoring power to the Rota Health Center and water wells, she said. “We are storm ready,” Terlaje said.
She said an issue was the underground cable to the Rota Resort – planned as a power backup to the CUC’s system – which initially appeared to have been cut. While the resort’s cable had not been completely damaged, it will take time to test, Terlaje said.
With President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Oct. 9 declaration of an emergency in the NMI, Babauta said Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel would be on standby to come to the commonwealth after the typhoon. “They are ready to mobilize their people to Saipan and from here to Rota,” he said. He confirmed there are currently no FEMA personnel on Rota.
Saipan, Rota and Tinian remain under Condition of Readiness 1. mbj
With the development of Tropical Storm Bolaven into a typhoon, the typhoon is now tracking west/northwest and very close to Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands.
“It’s not a direct hit,” Palacios said.” He had talked to Mayor Aubry Hocog of Rota, he said, so that she and her team could take precautionary and immediate measures.
The governor told the Journal “We advised her that some people will be impacted – particularly in the north.” Some people on farms might need to be bussed to the shelter [in Sinapalo], he said.
Terlaje said the CUC is as prepared as it can be to assist Rota, with the line crew preparing to go there first after the typhoon. Priorities would include restoring power to the Rota Health Center and water wells, she said. “We are storm ready,” Terlaje said.
She said an issue was the underground cable to the Rota Resort – planned as a power backup to the CUC’s system – which initially appeared to have been cut. While the resort’s cable had not been completely damaged, it will take time to test, Terlaje said.
With President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Oct. 9 declaration of an emergency in the NMI, Babauta said Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel would be on standby to come to the commonwealth after the typhoon. “They are ready to mobilize their people to Saipan and from here to Rota,” he said. He confirmed there are currently no FEMA personnel on Rota.
Saipan, Rota and Tinian remain under Condition of Readiness 1. mbj