President Declares Disaster for Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and ordered federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Typhoon Soudelor during the period of August 1-3, 2015.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals on the island of Saipan.  Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.     

Federal funding also is available to Commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of Typhoon Soudelor on the islands of Rota, Saipan, and Tinian.

Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire Commonwealth.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. 

Stephen M. De Blasio Sr. has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  De Blasio Sr. said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and additional areas may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed. 

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.