SAIPAN — The Saipan Mayor’s Office has 42 California wildfire hotshots on the ground assisting with debris removal and clearing access to water wells and power infrastructure following Typhoon Sinlaku, Communications Liaison Benjamin Maratita said Thursday in an interview with the NMI News Service
Maratita said the Mayor’s Office has crews of 30 or more working in both the northern and southern parts of the island on extended shifts, with water and power restoration as the top priority. The hotshots, who arrived as part of NGO support efforts, are working alongside the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to clear access points to major water wells and power poles.
“Getting water and power is a priority right now for the Mayor’s Office,” Maratita said. “We have boots on the ground. We’re all over the island.”
The Mayor’s Office is organizing mass cleanup efforts in coordination with FEMA and NGOs. Maratita acknowledged the volume of individual requests for debris removal and road clearing but said the office is working systematically while also conducting assessments of residents who have not yet been reached, particularly those with road access blocked by storm debris.
Maratita said northern Saipan took significant damage from wind, with trees down across many areas. New assessments are ongoing, and crews are working to open road access for residents who need to get out for water and food.
The mayor is also prioritizing dialysis patients and has been coordinating with Tinian and Rota liaisons on those needs. Maratita said the mayor accompanied Lt. Governor Dennis James C. Mendiola Wednesday to assess flooding at Susupe Lake, where residents have raised health concerns about water spread in the area. The mayor is also looking at the potential to open schools including the Man’amko Center as community resources.
Maratita said NGO coordination is a growing challenge as more organizations arrive on island and said streamlining distribution and assistance efforts is a major priority going forward.
“I get everybody wants to help, but coordination is a huge priority,” he said. “We definitely have to coordinate that.”
