Casualties and severe damage after typhoon hits FSM's Chuuk

Transcript

Authorities in Federated States of Micronesia say there has been casualties and severe damage to infastructure in Chuuk state after Typhoon Maysack hit on Sunday.

The director of the National Emergency Management Office, Andrew Yatilman, says the eye of the category one typhoon directly hit the most populated area of Chuuk.

He says communication was restored on Monday, and the office has received reports of damage to infrastructure, homes and crops.

Mr Yatilman told Jamie Tahana the typhoon is gaining intensity as it heads towards Yap state and warnings have been issued.

ANDREW YATILMAN:  The eye just swept directly over all the Chuuk Lagoon islands and that was evident by a calm of about an hour that people thought it had passed already but then it hit again with strong winds coming from the south-west.

JAMIE TAHANA:  How strong were those winds and has it caused any damage to Chuuk?

AY:  It was just starting to turn into a typhoon as it was approaching the Chuuk Lagoon islands and so the recorded wind there was typhoon strength of about 70 miles per hour.  We have not received any official written report from the state of Chuuk but we have got telephone communications.  We're contacting them.  We're talking to them.  At one point yesterday we lost telephone contact so we actually lost contact with them for a while yesterday afternoon so yes there have been damages to infrastructure, public infrastructure, private homes, crafts, trees and a lot of debris and fallen trees are blocking roadways.  Some vessels that were in the lagoon have been swept up on the reef.  That's the report we have so far but we have not really got the full report as yet.  There's going to be a lot of cleaning up to do.  Power has been down so that needs to be taken care of to some critical areas.  The hospital, the airport and the fuel farm.  

JT:  What about the people?  You say homes have been damaged.  Are there people who are homeless or injured or needing food and stuff?

AY:  We have seen pictures of residents that have been with the roof completely torn off so whoever has taken those are being displaced and will have to be accommodated either by relatives or maybe some public shelters that will be set up by the state of Chuuk, by the government.  I think most people are alright.  We understand there have been a few casualties that have been typhoon-related but that has yet to be confirmed.

JT:  So we have no confirmation of any casualties?

AY:  It's the number that hasn't been confirmed.  We're hearing four or five, so it's between four and five that we know so far.

JT:  The typhoon I believe is heading towards Yap state now and is gaining in intensity.

AY:  Yeah.  As it is heading towards Yap we are getting the reports from the weather advisory that it's going to be intensifying over the next few days as it travels through the islands of Yap.  We are hoping that it won't make landfall.  There have been warnings being issued by government authorities telling residents to be prepared to board up typhoon shelters.  To move or evacuate elderly and children to these typhoon shelters.  That's what they're doing.