Courtesy Photo | Chief Petty Officer Mark Petty and Seaman Nancy Willis work with other crew members of...... read more read more
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Story by Lt. Jeff West and Lt. j.g. Justin Strassfield
SANTA RITA, Guam - Coast Guard crew members along with several federal, state and local agencies are continuing efforts in Saipan in response to Typhoon Soudelor, Wednesday.
The Coast Guard 14th District, in support of relief efforts in Saipan, transferred control of the Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia, and it is now operating under direction of Coast Guard Sector Guam as are responders on land.
The crew of the Sequoia weathered 10-foot seas and 35 mph winds Tuesday evening as they supported disaster relief and recovery efforts currently underway in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sequoia transported 14 members from the Army National Guard, nine members from Mobil's disaster and spill response team, one U.S. Marshal, and one Commonwealth Utility Corporation coordinator, the local electrical power utility, to Tanapag Harbor, Saipan. Until the airport reopened late Tuesday to limited relief flights, military sealift and airlift were the only means of getting needed personnel and resources on island.
Despite several vessels having broken from their moorings and possible debris blocking the narrow, reef-lined channel into Saipan's only deep-water port, the cutter's crew was able to expertly navigate into Tanapag Harbor by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, where they were eagerly greeted by family and friends of the passengers.
Operating into the night, Sequoia conducted an initial survey of the shipping channel and port, which until that point remained closed to commercial vessel traffic. The crew will be working for the next few days to restore aids to navigation, buoys and lights, throughout the harbor in addition to supporting cleanup and relief efforts. The cutter’s crew maintains 11 buoys and three fixed lights in the harbor, which are critical to helping mariners safely navigate the channel.
"This was a great example of the multi-mission capabilities the Coast Guard can provide to our federal and local government partners in times of disaster," said Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Worst, commanding officer of Sequoia. "During this difficult time for the residents of Saipan, we are humbled to be contributing to the relief effort. Quickly opening the harbor to navigation will provide for the flow of vital supplies and personnel to help restore the island.”
Additionally, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Assateague departed from Naval Base Guam and arrived in Saipan Tuesday with crew members from the Coast Guard Strike Team to support the recovery efforts at the Mobil fuel farm and deliver relief supplies. A tank in the fuel farm was damaged by an impact from a shipping container and leaked gasoline into the secondary containment area, but fuel remains contained and did not reach the ocean.
Additionally, crews are working to address the cleanup of approximately 50 shipping containers at the port of Saipan, with a variety of contents, damaged by the storm.
Sequoia is a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam. In addition to servicing floating and fixed maritime aids to navigation throughout Micronesia, this multi-mission platform with a crew of eight officers and 42 enlisted members also performs search and rescue, law enforcement, and a plethora of other missions throughout the Central and South Pacific.
The Assateague is a 110-foot Island-Class patrol boat. Its assigned missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, ports waterways and coastal security and national defense. The cutter has an area of responsibility equivalent to the size of the continental United States.
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2015 19:53 |
| Story ID: | 172284 |
| Location: | SANTA RITA, GU |
| Web Views: | 391 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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