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Mayors describe rescues, water shortages and equipment needs during emergency session
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Summary
Mayors of Saipan and the Northern Islands testified about rescue operations, blocked roads, water shortages and requests for equipment, office space for FEMA and additional funding during an emergency House delegation session.
Two mayors testified during the delegation's emergency session about immediate rescue needs, distribution challenges and requests for additional funding and equipment following recent super typhoons.
Arby Camacho, speaking from the podium as mayor of Saipan, described mobilizing teams to rescue dialysis and ambulatory patients, clearing blocked roads and wells, and offering office space to FEMA to speed relief coordination. "There's a lot of patients, dialysis patients, ambulatory patients, people that need to be rescued from their house," Camacho said, describing overnight clearing of wells and round-the-clock operations to restore water and access. He said some heavy equipment at his disposal was out of service and he was seeking funds to repair or rent trucks, booms, claws and backhoes to accelerate debris removal.
Camacho also urged elected leaders to move past politics and work together: "This is a time to show the people that we're all in one group to serve them accordingly," he said, and asked the delegation to appropriate funding to allow mayoral offices to receive and disburse aid quickly.
Valentino Taiskan, who introduced himself as mayor of the Northern Islands, told members his islands were also devastated and said the funding levels under consideration were insufficient for his jurisdiction. "I am here to support that appropriation, hoping that we can make amendment and give more funding to my office," Taiskan said, noting logistical challenges reaching affected islands and requesting additional dollars beyond the amounts cited.
Both mayors recounted operational constraints: Camacho said a helicopter had to be used because heavy equipment could not reach some roads, and that municipal staff were operating 12‑hour shifts to clear debris and keep water wells functional. No formal administrative response to specific funding requests was recorded on the transcript during the session; members directed staff to transmit adopted legislation to the governor and discussed potential reimbursement sources and reprogramming authority to provide flexibility during recovery.
The session provided elected officials a forum to record urgent needs and for the delegation to adopt emergency appropriations that members said will support immediate relief operations.
