ROTA — Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog said Sunday morning that the island’s emergency shelter is ready to activate later in the day and urged residents in low-lying areas of Songsong Village to consider moving to higher ground as Typhoon Sinlaku’s track shifts toward a direct hit on Rota.
Hocog said the primary shelter will be at the Office of Aging in Sinapalo. She said Songsong Village’s position in the low-lying southern part of the island makes it vulnerable to flooding from the heavy rainfall expected with the storm, and that residents there should not wait to seek shelter.
“Our area in Songsong Village, the southern part of our island, is really in the low-lying areas,” Hocog said. “So there’s going to be, if there’s major rain, it can lead to flooding. So we are advising our people if they can seek shelter.”
Transportation assistance is available through the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority (COTA). Hocog said her team has been checking outlying areas and reaching residents who may need assistance. She said shelter activation is expected once Governor David M. Apatang gives the order.
Hocog said she has been encouraged by the response of residents over the past several days.
“We’ve been tracking this for the past few days. We’ve been seeing movement these past few days where people have been getting the supplies they need, they’ve been fueling their vehicles,” she said. “We’re glad to see that our people are not taking this lightly.”
She also noted that any visitors currently on Rota will be welcomed at the shelter if needed. Residents can call the Mayor’s office at 670-532-9451. Additional contact numbers for COTA and the Office of Aging will be released as activation proceeds.
