More than 900 local residents were housed at eleven emergency shelters island-wide due to Tropical Storm Gita, as of late Monday afternoon, according to data released yesterday morning by the ASG Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

And Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga reconfirmed to Samoa News early yesterday afternoon that there were no deaths or injuries as a result of the storm, which caused wide spread damage island-wide, with several villages hard-hit faced with the daunting clean up task.

SHELTERS

A list released yesterday morning by EOC based on the head count as of 6p.m. Monday shows 973 residents housed at eleven shelters. The head count list shows 260 at Tafuna Elementary and 120 at Samoana High School.

The rest are housed at four Latter Day Saints (Mormon) church centers, the Seventh Day Adventist hall in Pago Pago; Lauli’i Methodist, Amouli CCCAS; Tula Assembly of God, and hall at Fagatogo.  All these centers were opened and ASG is providing three meals a day.

Residents seeking more information on shelters, contact EOC at 699-3800.

EOC UPDATE

The EOC special bulletin released at 6pm on Monday:

•    The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Damage Assessment teams will conduct assessments in the villages of Tutuila, Aunuu and Manu’a assisted by village mayors.  These assessments will include damages sustained by individual homes and all public infrastructures.

•     Health Department clinics in Tutuila and Manu’a are all open. Health inspectors are out conducting inspection of all stores for food safety. (Samoa News has already received inquiries from the some residents concerned with frozen meat sold at stores and requested if DOH is conducting inspections after the storm)

•     LBJ hospital Dialysis clinic was closed yesterday for routine re-sanitation purposes, and to reopen today.

•     American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) is conducting testing of all water vending machines and water wells. In addition, they are also issuing an island-wide beach advisory while conducting testing of all recreational beaches.

The Boil Water notice remains in effect.