SAIPAN – U.S. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 are erecting temporary roofs for Saipan residents whose homes were damaged by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, working through a task list coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A crew was completing a project in Garapan on Monday, finishing the last of a roof that began Friday and continued through Saturday, according to Equipment Operator 2nd Class Nicholas Savard, who is leading the crew. NMCB-1 falls under Commander, Task Force 75 based in Guam.
“Our tasking is to erect some temporary roofing for these people that got devastated by the typhoon,” Savard said. “We’re just trying to give them a safe, secure place to get out of the elements and kind of start the recovery process.”
The Army Corps conducts the initial pre-assessment to determine whether each home qualifies under federal regulations, Savard said. The tasking is then assigned to the Seabees, who conduct their own safety assessment before bringing materials to the site.
Crews typically consist of five to six personnel, Savard said. Projects range from replacing a few panels to reframing and re-rafting entire roofs, with most jobs taking one to three days depending on the severity of the damage. Much of the original lumber is destroyed by the storm and must be cleared before new material can be installed.
The teams work in mid-90s to 100-degree heat, Savard said, with the crew pushing water and prioritizing safety on roofs that often have compromised structural integrity from the typhoon.
Savard said the local response has been one of the highlights of the deployment. Homeowners have offered to make and buy lunch for the crews, and some have shared stories of family members who served.
“It’s a very fulfilling and rewarding work to be able to give back to a community like this,” Savard said.
Savard, who is from Massachusetts, has been in the Navy for nearly eight and a half years. He said this is the first time he has worked on civilian housing of this kind.
To Sinlaku survivors still on the wait list for roof repairs, Savard said the crews wish they could do more but are bound by the tasking process.
“Just be patient and understand that we’re doing everything we can to help you guys,” he said.
