The territory will test its capability and skill in responding to a natural disaster in a territorial wide exercise that will bring down from the mainland, top officials from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The scenario for the exercise is a Category 5 Tropical Cyclone named “Matagi ma Savili.”
The exercise which will be held Wednesday and Thursday will test response of emergency crews before, during and after the disaster.
More than a dozen officials from FEMA, led by Deputy Director of the FEMA Region 9 Office. Dr. Ahsha Tribble, will be here for the drill.
An advance team from FEMA is now on island to set up the communications system that will be used in the exercise.
According to the Joint Incident Action Plan for the exercise, the cyclone will have storm force winds by Thursday afternoon and the storm is forecast to impact the territory as a category 5 typhoon sometime Thursday evening.
A tropical Storm watch and flash flood watch would be in effect for all islands of American Samoa.
The port of Pago Pago is anticipated to close down around midnight the night before.
Objectives of the exercise are to establish a public messaging strategy, and release, accurate, timely and concise information to the public, have open lines of communications throughout the territory during, pre and post landfall periods, co-ordinate interagency response among territorial, federal and non governmental partners, provide mass care services to the affected population , coordinate ordering and distribution of resources to affected areas and identify and prioritize critical infrastructure for recovery.
All ASG, private sector and non government organizations which have emergency response responsibilities will be involved in the exercise.
A detailed critique of the response will be carried out following the drill.
