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Obama signs disaster declaration for Am. Samoa

U.S. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster exists in American Samoa and ordered federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, flooding, and landslides during the period of July 29 to Aug. 3, 2014.

 

In a letter last month, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga petitioned the White House for a Presidential Disaster Declaration that a major disaster or emergency exists in American Samoa.

 

Lolo said the flooding, associated runoff and resulting landslides have produced serious and extensive damage to both public and private property, and directly caused injuries and one death. It has also left many residents homeless, requiring evacuation to temporary shelters.

 

“Initial assessment reviews by local agencies reflect public damage estimates in excess of $5 million, not including mitigation costs,” he declared. (See Samoa News edition on Sept. 5, 2014 for more details)

 

In a statement, the White House said Obama yesterday issued the emergency declaration for American Samoa. This means federal funding is available to the territory and eligible local government agencies and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, and landslides.

 

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures in American Samoa.

 

The statement also says that U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator W. Craig Fugate has named Kenneth K. Suiso as the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

 

According to FEMA, additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the territory and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.