Trump approves emergency declarations for Guam and CNMI as Typhoon Champi strikes

President Donald Trump has approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as Typhoon Champi bore down on the Pacific territories, authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all federal disaster relief efforts (AP).

CNMI Governor Ralph DLG. Torres announced that Trump had “expeditiously approved” his request. FEMA is now authorised to provide emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance Program at 75 per cent federal funding, for Rota, Saipan and Tinian under Title V of the Stafford Act (Saipan Tribune).

Both governors requested the declarations on Friday. Champi was a Category 4 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) about 55 miles south-east of Guam on Saturday night local time, according to the US National Weather Service, and was forecast to pass south of Guam early Sunday (Economic Times/AP).

Guam and Rota remained under typhoon warnings, while Tinian and Saipan were under tropical storm warnings and a typhoon watch. Airports, harbours and some health facilities were closed, and FEMA said resources were unlikely to reach the islands for three to five days. The territories are still recovering from Super Typhoons Sinlaku in April and Bavi in July (AP).

Torres cancelled all conditions as of 8am on Sunday, though gusty winds were continuing and residents were told to stay off the roads while emergency crews assessed damage (Saipan Tribune).