By Pacific Island Times News Staff
President Biden today declared a state of emergency for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and ordered federal assistance to supplement local responses to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Bolaven.
“With the threat of Tropical Storm Bolaven in our region, it was critical we make this request for federal support early. Doing so ensures we have access to the aid we may need in the event weather turns for the worst,” Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio.
On Saipan, CNMI Gov. Arnold I. Palacios upgraded the storm declaration for Saipan and Tinian from Typhoon Condition III to Typhoon Condition II as of 2 p.m. Typhoon Condition III is maintained for Rota.
Typhoon Condition 2 means that damaging winds are expected within 24 hours, while Typhoon Condition 3 means damaging winds are possible within 48 hours.
At the White House, federal officials said the president’s emergency declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures to minimize or avert the threat of a catastrophe in Guam and the CNMI.
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The president authorized FEMA to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.
Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the public assistance program will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.
Benigno B. Ruiz of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
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As of 1 p.m., the National Weather Service Guam upgraded the typhoon watch for Tinian and Saipan to a typhoon warning.
This means that typhoon winds of 74 mph are expected, with damaging winds of 39 mph arriving within 24 hours.
For Rota, a tropical storm warning is now in effect while the Typhoon Watch remains in effect.
This means that damaging winds of 39 mph are expected within 24 hours.
The ongoing typhoon watch for Rota indicates that typhoon conditions are possible if the track of Tropical Storm Bolaven shifts southward.
A tropical storm watch is also in effect for Agrihan, Pagan and Alamagan Islands. This means that damaging winds of 39 mph are possible within 48 hours.
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