Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

Nena Declared Pohnpei Disaster, Asked President Clinton Likewise

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): April 25, 1997
– FSM Acting President Jacob Nena formally requested U.S. President
William J. Clinton to declare Pohnpei State, Federated States of
Micronesia, a major disaster area for destruction caused by Typhoon
Isa and its aftermath, in an April 21, 1997, letter to President
Clinton, with reference to Section 401, Public Law No. 93-288, as
amended by Public Law 100-707, implemented by Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) 206-36.

The FSM Acting President in his letter expounded on the extensive
and unprecedented property damages and the highest number of lives
lost in a single incident as relayed to him by Governor Pangelinan
and requested for a swift and sympathetic consideration.

Nena stated hat preliminary estimates and sufferings are well
beyond the capabilities and resources available locally. Thus,
necessitates Supplementary Disaster Assistance including the
individual and public assistance grants, DOE Assistance and the SBA
Disaster Loan. In a priority message responding to Acting President
Nena’s request from William L. Carwile, III, Director, Pacific Area
Office, FEMA’s region IX, advised Nena that a team was dispatched to
Pohnpei on April 23, 1997, to conduct a preliminary assessment and
that Acting President Nena will be advised of the results of their
preliminary assessments, accordingly. Consequently, the FEMA team
arrived from Guam Wednesday, April 23, 1997. After meeting with
Governor Pangelinan and state officials Thursday morning, they began
assessing the damages by visiting the two landslide sites, according
to a telephone interview with Chutomu Nimwes, Special Assistant for
Disaster and Special Programs to FSM President. Prior to their
coming to Pohnpei, the Team was working in Yap State and Guam as a
result of Typhoon Fern. The five-member team is headed by Deryl
Wait. They began gathering information on damages on Pohnpei,
working in close cooperation with the local, state and national
officials and affected individuals. Pohnpei State designated Watson
Pelep to help in the assistance from the United States Federal
Government’s assessment of public facilities damages and Nikontro
Johnny to help in the assessment of individual property damages ,
said Nimwes, adding, that public assistance (PA) is for damages
involving public roads, utilities, public buildings while individual
assistance (IA) is for damages to private homes, private properties
including vehicles, crops to name a few.

Pohnpei State’s response is immediate, an announcement has been
repeated over the radio V6AH advising those who suffer damages to
file their claims with the Chief Magistrate of their Municipality.

Nimwes also said that representatives of Small Business
Administration (SBA) is expected to visit Pohnpei to assess damages
involving business establishments. Nimwes, praising FEMA for the
quickness of the response to the FSM Acting President’s request, said
that the FEMA team plans to leave Pohnpei after a week

The FEMA Team headed by Deryl Wait, Team Leader, Frank Dayton,
Army Corps of Engineer; Diana Montgomery who are responsible for
public assistance data collections. Tamara Frederickson and Willam
Lundy are responsible for collection of individual assistance
information, and reports and computers, respectively.