President Issues Disaster Declaration for American Samoa,
Statement of Sympathy and Assistance for the Region
FEMA Launches Air Bridge to Ferry Supplies to American Samoa
September 30, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Barack Obama today issued the following statement regarding the tragic natural disasters that struck American Samoa, Western Samoa and other Pacific islands yesterday.

"Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami in American Samoa and the region. I am closely monitoring these tragic events, and have declared a major disaster for American Samoa, which will provide the tools necessary for a full, swift and aggressive response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in close and constant contact with emergency responders, and the U.S. Coast Guard is fully supporting the deployment of resources to those areas in need of immediate assistance. We also stand ready to help our friends in Samoa and the region. Going forward, we will continue to provide the resources necessary to respond to this catastrophe, and we will keep those who have lost so much in our thoughts and prayers."

Craig Fugate, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is the lead federal agency coordinating the Federal Government’s response to the disaster, issued the following statement:

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who have been impacted by this event, and we will continue working as a team with our territory and federal partners to respond to yesterday’s tsunami in the Pacific Ocean.  Our National Response Coordination Center as well as our Regional Response Coordination Center in Region IX are currently operating around the clock and FEMA has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) as well as a Planning and Response Team (PRT) to American Samoa to provide direct support and on the ground response. In support of the President’s Major Disaster Declaration, the first federal team members, including the Federal Coordinating Officer, are currently on the ground and already responding.  FEMA, which has provisions pre-positioned in a distribution center in Hawaii, is also sending supplies as requested to help meet the immediate needs of the survivors. We are also working to coordinate the response of the entire federal family as we work to support the government of American Samoa and meet the immediate needs of the survivors as quickly as possible.  We remain in contact with the leadership of American Samoa and our federal partners and will continue to coordinate our federal response to ensure that there are no unmet needs in the territorial or in other potentially impacted regions.”

FEMA also announced additional federal support is en route to American Samoa by air through a series of flights (see attachment) that represent the first legs in an “air bridge” being established to ferry supplies into the island territory in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s tsunami.  Flights will continue for the foreseeable future in order to respond to the needs of the survivors on the ground.

The Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Anthony Babauta and Office of Insular Affairs Director Nikolao Pula are in transit to American Samoa and will arrive via military flights arranged through U.S. Pacific Command in Honolulu.  They will assist the American Samoa Government in coordinating and communicating with FEMA and the Federal Government.

Donations to American Samoa can be made through the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).
Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting redcross.org.

For additional information, the media should contact FEMA at 202-646-3272.

FEMA and its federal partners continue to work closely with territorial and local government to respond in areas impacted by the tsunami.  Planned flights for the response efforts that will include personnel, skill sets and commodities, are as follows:

C-130 Flight: A U.S. Coast Guard C-130, from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif., left Honolulu at 11 p.m. HDT (5 a.m. EDT) carrying the initial response team as well as FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), Kenneth J Tingman. Tingman will coordinate closely with Region IX who has the lead on the response until a Joint Field Office is established. Additional personnel on the flight include a FEMA logistics team and initial staff from U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), the Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense. They arrived around sunrise in Pago Pago which was early this afternoon eastern time

C-17 National Guard Flight: A Hawaii National Guard C-17 cargo flight is scheduled for travel from Honolulu to Samoa later today. The cargo on this flight will include primary commodities such as food, generators, water, shelter materials, and medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

DC-8 Flights: Supplies are now being loaded onto multiple DC-8 planes in Dallas-Fort Worth. One flight will head toward Samoa today and additional flights will leave tomorrow. These flights will include FEMA, HHS and Coast Guard staff as well as expertise from the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the American Red Cross. These flights will also include commodities including vehicles, generators, food, cots and blankets.