Lemanu: ASGs immediate priority is to help cyclone victims

chamber-lemanu

Lt Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga and ASG officials in charge of the response and restoration for Cyclone Gita were guest speakers at the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce meeting last night at the Tradewinds Naumati Room.

Lemanu, the Governor’s Authorized Representative to FEMA took the opportunity to thank the business community for their immediate response to help residents, for example companies that opened their stores before, during and after the hurricane, and those which helped clear roads after the storm.

Lemanu said the most immediate priority for ASG is to help those displaced by Gita.

DPW Director Sina Voigt

The lt governor explained the damage assessments for homes which have led to complaints.

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Some residents of Tuala-uta who were at the meeting said that their damaged homes have not been assessed despite several calls to the Emergency Operations Center.

Lemanu fielded a question about whether homes which were destroyed had certificates of occupancy from the Department of Public Works.

Tafuna resident and businessman Jim McGuire said the government should use the certificate of occupancy as an underwriting tool so that it doesn’t have to pay for people’s shacks and umu.

The lt governor calmly responded that McGuire raised an important point but he said the government’s first priority was to take care of people’s needs regardless of their standard of housing.

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Another question from the floor was what happens if President Trump doesn’t approve a major disaster area declaration for American Samoa.

Such a declaration would pave the way for federal assistance for residents whose homes were destroyed or significantly damaged, and also provide assistance to ASG to rebuild or repair government buildings and infrastructure which were destroyed or damaged by Gita.

Victor Inge – FEMA

That question was answered FEMA spokesman Victor Inge.

He was among the first team of FEMA officials to land here after Cyclone Gita, as part of the Incident Command Team that has been working with ASG officials in the initial damage assessments and mobilizing immediate supplies to the territory,

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The FEMA official said they are already planning for when the president approves the major disaster declaration.

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Other ASG officials who spoke at the meeting were Director of Human and Social Services Muavaefaatasi John Suisala, Director of Public Works Sina Voigt and Alfonso Pete Galeai, Director of the Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management.