Immediate Mitigation Efforts Underway, Sustainable Solution Planning Ongoing
Hagåtña, Guam – Following heavy rain showers and isolated flash flooding, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero visited affected southern families on Thursday morning to address the situation and discuss long-term solutions in the RR Cruz and Finile areas of Hågat.
“This is a reminder of not just the devastation caused by heavy rain but the long-term needs of communities periodically impacted by natural disasters. Our Administration will stand by those communities until the work is done to ensure that our response to such disasters is the best it can possibly be,” said Governor Leon Guerrero. “In conducting our site visit, we saw firsthand the effects of flash flooding on our island’s families. Crews from the Department of Public Works (DPW) activated immediately and worked into the night on Wednesday to clean area culverts, remove vegetation, and clear waterways in both Malesso’ and Hågat. Mitigation efforts were in place for these areas before the recent flooding, but we know that we must work n swiftly to deliver more sustainable solutions. While response efforts are as robust as can be, we are taking the steps to make more meaningful investments that will enhance our resiliency.”
The Bureau of Statistics and Plans (BSP) was recently sub-awarded $189,000 to address a long-term solution for this area from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which is administered by the Guam Office of Homeland Security. BSP intends to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study that will assess storm drainage and watershed management. The planning area consists of the south tributary of Finile Creek, Little Manila Street, the confluence of Finile Creek River, Orong Street, and the Finilie Sub-watershed.
“These response efforts are ongoing as we continue to work closely with our federal and local partners to respond as quickly and effectively as possible, for as long as necessary, until these communities are built back stronger than before,” Governor Leon Guerrero added. “We thank Mayor Kevin Susuico and our dedicated DPW crews for their historic action on this issue.”
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