Bob Fenton, FEMA Region IX administrator, “It authorizes us with some more of the emergency needs that the commonwealth has, and with debris removal from this event. We will do assessments for permanent reconstruction and make those decisions and programs at a later date.”

President Donald Trump, on Friday, did an official major disaster declaration for the CNMI following the wake of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. Fenton, in a press briefing on Saturday, said that there are multiple federal agencies on the ground assisting with recovery efforts.

He said, “The Department of Energy is working with Commonwealth Utilities Commission on the power system. The Corps of Engineers is here and they are supporting all the emergency power needs. Right now we have over a 100 individuals here from the Corps putting generators in. Trying to help get the water system up and operational, everyday we continue to make progress on that. We have over a 100 generators here and more coming in everyday.”

Fenton says there are federal government staff on the other commonwealth islands, and will assist until systems are fully restored. As for other federal disaster assistance programs such as those aimed to assist with food loss, or programs that will assist with income lost due to the typhoon, public assistance office special assistant, Patrick Guerrero, says that the CNMI government had been communicating with federal agencies prior to the typhoon making landfall.

“Already seeing we were going to get affected i did communicate with the governor and for example the secretary of labor to be prepared if we do have a disaster declaration, get all your documents now, and be prepared to submit for disaster unemployment assistance," he said.

As for programs such as the Disaster Nutrition Assistance Program, Guerrero says application submission is underway to federal agencies.

In the meantime, CNMI residents that sustained damages due to Typhoon Sinlaku are now able to apply for aid from FEMA by visiting their website at disasterassistance.gov, or by calling the toll-free number 671-735-1050 or FEM's Help Line at 1-800-621-3362.