Pacific

FSM focuses on typhoon impact assessment

20:55 pm on 1 April 2015

Officials in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) are scrambling to gauge the impact of Super Typhoon Maysak, which has been pounding the country's west.

A cabinet meeting of the Federated States of Micronesia government under President Manny Mori. Photo: Supplied

Maysak hit the small atolls of Fais and Ulithi in the state of Yap with 120 kilometre per hour winds.

FSM President Manny Mori held a cabinet meeting today to begin co-ordinating the country's response to Maysak, establishing a taskforce in conjunction with various government agencies.

Communication and electricity infrastructure problems from the storm have complicated efforts to establish a reliable flow of information sharing with the state taskforce.

FSM Telecom confirmed that most cellphone sites has been out of service.

The government said it was doing what it could to quickly assess the impact of the typhoon.

A key focus of the taskforce's efforts has been on responding to the situation in Chuuk, where five people were believed to have died due to Maysak and significant damage sustained to homes and crops.

The government has been meeting throughout the past day with NGO and humanitarian agencies, along with the US Embassy.

The meetings have been aimed at reporting on what specific goods and services are needed in affected parts, and in order to harmonise better coordination and avoid duplication of the response.

The US Embassy has indicated that the USAID already has a representative flown to Chuuk as of Tuesday.