[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 16, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H6788-H6789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            GUAM EARTHQUAKE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2001, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take this opportunity to 
alert my colleagues of an earthquake that jolted Guam shortly after 11 
a.m. D.C. time on Friday, which was 1:03 a.m. Chammorro Standard Time 
on Guam, Saturday, October 13.
  The earthquake measured a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter 
scale, and the epicenter was located some 45 miles south-southeast of 
Guam's capital, Hagatna. Many of the island villages were without water 
and power, and due to the time that the earthquake occurred, which was 
in the middle of the night, official structural damage assessments 
could not be made until the morning after.
  I am pleased to report that FEMA officials, as well as a four-person 
team from the Army Corps of Engineers, who are structural and water 
system experts, are on island to assist with the damage assessment, and 
I understand that the governor of Guam, Carl Gutierrez, will soon be 
transmitting a major disaster declaration to President Bush.
  There have been widespread reports of broken water lines in southern 
portions of the island, causing disruption in water service in my own 
home village of Yona, where I live. We have not had water since the 
earthquake, and I have recently received confirmation that a main water 
line that services the northern and southern parts of the island has 
sustained major structural damage. Although there is visible damage in 
a few areas, I am concerned; and I think all of the people of Guam are 
most primarily concerned that the island's water infrastructure 
received major damage that we have yet to assess.
  Public works crews are also currently assessing the damage to three 
bridges in the villages of Inarajan, Talofofo, and Pago Bay, all of 
which are vital links and provide the only means of land access to the 
southern end of the island.
  One bridge has already been assessed and reported to have sustained 
structural damage and minimal travel is being allowed on these bridges 
at this point.
  Schools will open tomorrow which would be Wednesday Guam-time. They 
have been closed for the past 2 days until they were declared 
structurally safe for our school children and until water and power 
were restored to the buildings for their health and welfare. Reports 
have already been received that two of our middle schools, Jose L. Rios 
and Oceanview, have received major structural damage and may be 
demolished pending further assessments. This is particularly crucial 
because Jose L. Rios has just been recently rebuilt from a typhoon in 
1998. Because many of our public schools are already overcrowded, 
particularly our middle schools, I am concerned that many of the other 
schools on the island will not be able to absorb our displaced 
students.
  All of this was aggravated by a sudden 6 inches of rain, a downpour, 
the following day which caused flooding to many parts of the island, 
especially Barrigada.
  This earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Guam, as our 
economy has already been struggling from the Asian economic crisis and 
the after effects of the September 11 attacks. Guam's economy is 
primarily fueled by tourists, especially from Asia, Japan. We get about 
1\1/2\ million tourists a year. Our travel and tourism industry will 
again bear the brunt of this earthquake and the attacks of September 11 
as tourists will be less likely to travel to Guam over the next few 
weeks given the current string of events.
  Our business community will continue to hurt and the greater impact 
of our economy will be damaging. Albeit

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the island has probably sustained a great deal of structural damage in 
its water system, collectively, and for some of our families, damages 
to their homes; I am extremely thankful that there were no fatalities 
or injuries.
  This is the strongest earthquake to hit the island since the 8.0 
rated earthquake in August of 1993. I am proud to say that Guam's 
building codes are one of the most stringent; and as a result, we were 
spared the tragedy of the loss of human life. I hope that once a 
complete and thorough assessment of the damage has been completed, I 
know that we can count on FEMA. I know we can count on the rest of the 
Federal Government to help the people of Guam and this body to help the 
people of Guam as well.

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