Hagåtña – A Major Disaster Declaration was approved for Guam.
Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero submitted a request for federal assistance after Typhoon Wutip struck the Marianas on February 23, 2019.
The request for Public Assistance and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program were awarded:
1. Public Assistance provides grants to state and local governments and certain nonprofit entities to assist them with the response to and recovery from disasters.
a. Public Assistance projects may fall into the following categories:
i. Category A: Debris removal
ii. Category B: Emergency protective measures
iii. Category C: Road systems and bridges
iv. Category D: Water control facilities
v. Category E: Public buildings and contents
vi. Category F: Public utilities
vii. Category G: Parks and other recreational facilities
2. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which will assist Guam in building back stronger, reducing long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.
“Our critical infrastructure on island received extensive damage from Typhoon Wutip,” stated Governor Leon Guerrero. “The Presidential Declaration will provide federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts that began immediately after the typhoon’s passing.”
Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio added: “While our Government agencies and Mayors did our best and joined forces to minimize the damage, and while we are grateful that it was not a direct hit, our island was still significantly impacted. We appreciate this favorable decision from President Trump and look forward to working with our federal counterparts from FEMA to move forward with the recovery process.”
President Trump has appointed Tracy A. Haynes as the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for recovery operations on Guam.