US offers disaster loans to Guam's nonprofits but nixes aid for households hit by Sinlaku

Admin
18 hours ago
3 min read

FEMA says damage level did not meet threshold for individual assistance

Trees were uprooted due to strong winds brought by Typhoon Sinlaku in April. File photo by Pacific Island Times

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has determined that Typhoon Sinlaku did not cause damage severe enough to warrant the awarding of aid under the federal Individuals and Households Program to Guam.

While FEMA denied Guam's request for individual assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration has opened the disaster loan application process for private nonprofit organizations, authorized under President Trump's major disaster declaration on June 30 related to Sinlaku, which made landfall on April 14.

According to SBA's notice posted last week on the Federal Register, private nonprofit organizations providing "essential services of a governmental nature" are eligible for "physical" and "economic injury" loans.

Application deadlines:
Physical loan: Aug.  31, 2026
Economic injury loan: March 30, 2027

Super Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall on Guam on April 14, with sustained winds near 145 mph and gusts approaching 175 mph. Its eyewall moved directly over Saipan and Tinian, striking as a strong Category 4 typhoon that left the Northern Mariana Islands in shambles and without power and water for months.

Trump declared a major disaster for Guam and the CNMI.

The government of Guam has estimated that Sinlaku cost millions in damage.

"However, based on a thorough review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the impact to individuals and households from this event is not of such severity and magnitude to warrant the designation of Individual Assistance under FEMA-4921-DR," David Arnold, acting associate administrator for FEMA Office of Response and Recovery, wrote in a July 10 letter to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero.

While describing FEMA's decision as "disappointing," the governor's office noted that it is consistent with a broader shift in federal disaster policy under the Trump administration.

Last year, Trump signed an executive order creating a “National Resilience Strategy,” shifting disaster preparedness and response power to state and local governments and reducing FEMA's role.

The governor said she will ask FEMA to reconsider its decision to deny Guam's request, saying the federal agency's findings did not represent "the very real hardships experienced by Guam families following Super Typhoon Sinlaku."

“The people of Guam know what this storm did to their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities,” Leon Guerrero said.

GovGuam has 30 days from the date of the decision to appeal, with additional information justifying FEMA's reversal.

“We respectfully disagree with FEMA’s determination and will use every opportunity available to demonstrate why our families qualify for this assistance. Our responsibility is to advocate relentlessly for the people we serve, and that is exactly what we intend to do," she added.

Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio said FEMA's decision underscores the importance of preparing Guam for an evolving federal landscape while continuing to pursue every available source of assistance.

“We have consistently warned that federal disaster policy was changing and that states and territories would increasingly be expected to shoulder more of the burden for disaster recovery,” he said.

“That reality makes it even more important that Guam remain fiscally strong, resilient, and prepared. At the same time, we will continue fighting for every federal resource available under the law.”

Meanwhile, the Guam Recovery Office today launched a preliminary damage assessment to determine any residential destruction caused by Typhoon Bavi, which barrelled through Guam earlier this month.

From July 28 through July 31, inspection teams from FEMA, SBA and mayors' representatives will conduct residential site visits "to validate disaster-related housing damage reported following Super Typhoon Bavi."

"The assessment will help confirm Guam's initial damage assessment findings and support the Territory's request for federal disaster assistance," according to the recovery office.

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