Typhoon Chataan - Aftermath

Aftermath

See also: List of retired Pacific typhoon names (JMA)

After Chataan affected Chuuk state, the island's residents were in need of food, clothes and medicine. Only a few crops were not destroyed by the storm; much of the breadfruit was stripped from the trees, and fruit not destroyed by the storm were damaged by parasites. In the days after the storm, the local Red Cross deployed about 100 volunteers to search for victims buried by landslides. However, rescue operations were hampered by persistent flooding after the storm. Initially the death toll was unknown, and it was feared that hundreds of people had been killed. Six people who were seriously injured on Chuuk were flown to The Queen's Medical Center in Hawaii for treatment; they were initially scheduled to fly to Guam Memorial Hospital, but the facility was full. About 2,000 residents affected by the storm evacuated to government-run shelters. The Red Cross shipped various relief supplies, including raincoats and water, to the affected areas. By July 4, power systems were restored and the airport reopened. Although there was enough food in the immediate aftermath, the destruction of crops and cattle posed a long-term food shortage.

On July 3 while Chataan was passing the region, the governor of Chuuk declared a state of emergency, requesting international assistance. On July 9, the government of Japan sent $87,000 (¥10 million) worth of supplies to Micronesia, including 1,000 blankets and 10 electric generators. Two days later, United States President George W. Bush declared the island as a disaster area. This was six days after FSM President Leo Falcam sent the disaster declaration to the US president, although Falcam had improperly filed the paperwork. Because the FSM is in a Compact of Free Association and not a U.S. state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could not provide immediate assistance. During the delay, a group of doctors from Guam flew to Chuuk to provide medical assistance. On July 11, the government of Israel sent $5,000 worth of medicine to the FSM. The next day, the Caritas charity in Australia sent $20,000 worth of water and food. Residents from elsewhere in the FSM sent clothes and food. The Australian government sent $10,000 to replenish emergency supplies, and the International Red Cross released about $20,000 for immediate relief. The government of China sent $30,000 worth of aid. On July 30, FEMA announced that residents and business owners in Chuuk could apply for individual assistance, including money for housing, repairing damage, and low-interest loans. The declaration would not apply to outer islands in Chuuk, which did not sustain significant damage; this is because FEMA only had funds to restore areas to how they were before the storm. Ultimately, FEMA provided 93,000 l (25,000 US gal) of water, 1,300 blankets, 45,360 km (100,000 lbs) of rice, 11,328 meals ready to eat, and various other supplies. In total, the agency allocated $10.6 million, mostly in the form of individual assistance that provided money for purchasing lost supplies. FEMA ultimately sent just under $5 million to Chuuk after Chataan, as well as subsequent typhoons Pongsona and Lupit; however, about $445,000 of the funding was believed to have been misspent due to discrepancies discovered in an audit in 2006.

In the days after the storm, thousands of people on Guam evacuated to the 15 government shelters set up in schools across the island; the total reached 3,947 people on July 10. The governor of Guam declared a state of emergency after the storm, and on July 6 President Bush declared the island a major disaster area; this allocated federal funding to assist in removing debris and other emergency services. A week later, the declaration was extended to include individual assistance for anyone who experienced damage from the storm. The Fena Lake reservoir experienced excess silt deposit after excessive rainfall from Chataan, which prevented water distribution from the facility; on July 19 – fifteen days after the typhoon's landfall – water production resumed. Before the facility reopened, the Guam Waterworks Authority distributed water to the island at differing times of the day to ration the limited supply. However, by a month after the storm, residents were still required to boil water as a precaution. About five days after Chataan struck Guam, Typhoon Halong affected the island and caused further power outages. Some areas on the island remained without power for over a week, due to electric workers restoring the main transmission lines before fixing individual lines. By July 19, 23% of those who lost power still were without electricity, mostly in outlying areas. By that date, trash collection was restored, and government-opened shelters were closed. Later in July, flooding washed debris from Chataan and clogged two rivers. The oil spill in Apra Harbor was cleaned at three of seven affected locations by August 19. In the months after the storm, tourism decreased further after a decline that began after the September 11 attacks. Ultimately, FEMA provided $73 million in assistance to the territory, including $10 million in housing checks to 5,947 people and $6.5 million worth of food stamps for 79,814 people. The agency provided $10 million for debris removal and rebuilding public buildings. In December 2002, Typhoon Pongsona struck Guam and caused additional flooding and damage. On August 7, President George W. Bush also declared Rota to be a disaster area, which provided funding for debris removal.

Because of Chataan's death toll and damage, the name was retired and replaced with Matmo in 2004. Countries in the World Meteorological Organization can request tropical cyclone names to be retired if a storm caused unusually heavy damage. The name PAGASA gave to Chataan while active – Gloria – was replaced with Glenda in 2005; the agency sought to be apolitical after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won a disputed presidential election in 2004.