It’s now a week since the Samoan islands took a hammering from Tropical Cyclone Gita, a storm that they were hardly prepared for.
There were no fatalities or injuries in the territory but the cyclone has caused widespread damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure mainly utility services.
As of yesterday, the government shelter at Tafuna Elementary had been closed and families who couldn’t return to their homes moved to faith based centers.
The Samoana High School shelter should be closed by today or over the weekend.
There are several church halls being used as shelters.
From the discussions at the Emergency Operations Center briefing yesterday afternoon, powering up schools and ensuring that they have water is one of the main tasks of the joint federal and local government response.
Public schools, are to reopen on Tuesday, following the Presidents Day holiday on Monday. Similarly for the American Samoa Community College.
ASPA has asked for generators that were issued after previous disaster to ASG departments to help pump water wells to areas which still don’t have water.
While FEMa has supplied a large generator for ASPA, Director of Homeland Security Samana Semo Veavea said this was at a high cost.
He called on departments with generators to pitch in.
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Lt Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga , sent a clear message to directors with stand by generators .
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