SUPER TYPHOON YUTU: ONE YEAR LATER
Saipan, MP – On October 24, 2018, Super Typhoon Yutu, the strongest typhoon ever recorded to impact the Mariana Islands and the second-strongest to strike the United States or its territories, made landfall on the islands of Tinian and Saipan. Torrential rain and sustained winds of 130-180 mph killed two citizens, injured at least 133 others, and damaged or destroyed significant portions of the island’s buildings and critical infrastructure.
“Super Typhoon Yutu devastated our islands a year ago, and we continue the work of rebuilding our lives, our homes, and our community. Our recovery continues, and we remain committed as ever to rebuild stronger with the help of FEMA, our federal partners, private sector partners, nongovernmental organizations, and volunteers. Our resiliency and our ability to come together are why we will build a stronger Marianas for the future,” said Governor Ralph DLG. Torres.
A major disaster declaration was announced by the U.S. president on October 26, 2018, which made federal funding available to affected individuals in Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and the Northern Islands municipalities. Once the weather cleared, local, state, and federal partners mobilized to address widespread power outages, severed water lines, a sizeable homeless population, and an extensive debris removal mission. In the past year, government, non-profit, and private sector organizations have worked to help CNMI recover from Typhoon Yutu. Highlights of the year’s efforts are summarized below.
Applications approved for Individual Assistance: 6,958 Individual & Households Program: $40.5 million Public Assistance: $131 million
U.S. Small Business Association: $97.4 million Temporary emergency roofs repaired: 546 Temporary tents provided: 2,744
Temporary school classrooms: 66
Household Hazardous Waste: 193 shipping containers Debris removal: 215,879 cubic yards
Installed 2,144 resilient concrete power poles Volunteer Agencies Leading & Organizing Repairs (VALOR) projects completed: 94
Recovery after catastrophic events takes time. We continue to support survivor housing needs through the Permanent Housing Construction (PHC) and VALOR programs. FEMA has also awarded grants for local agencies to provide Crisis Counseling and Disaster Case Management.
“It’s been one year since Typhoon Yutu made landfall in CNMI. As CNMI rebuilds, we will stand with the people and leaders who are dedicated to building more resilient communities,” said FEMA Region IX Administrator Robert Fenton.
By engaging the full capacity of the private and nonprofit sectors, including businesses, faith-based and disability organizations, and the general public, in conjunction with the participation of local, territorial, and federal governmental partners to shape a more effective path to societal security and resilience, together, we hope to restore, redevelop, and revitalize the health, social, economic, natural, and environmental fabric of the community and build a more resilient CNMI.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.