On Thursday, Lourdes Manglona had about five gallons of water to make it through the next 24 hours.
The 74-year-old relies on cup noodles and other packaged goods for meals. She collects rainwater to wash the dishes. Her home stays thick with heat, because there’s no power for air conditioning.
“I’m trying to be calm. I’m trying to be patient. But it’s just too much,” Manglona said. “I’m trying not to think about all my problems, because I’ll lose my mind. We really need help.”
Thousands of residents across Guam remain without power and water more than a week after Typhoon Mawar tore through the island.
It could be weeks until the utilities are restored, and many are struggling to accomplish basic tasks, such as cleaning damaged homes, washing dirty clothes, taking a much-needed shower and eating a fresh meal. The Category 4 storm was the strongest to hit the island since 2002. It spared lives but flooded homes, tore roofs, downed power lines and damaged water wells.
Frustrations are high and recovery feels far off as fundamental needs are a battle, residents told The Post. Some question the urgency and efficacy of federal support for the Pacific U.S. territory.
About half of the island remains without water, and about 65 percent remains without power, local authorities said Thursday. It may be another three to four weeks until the majority of the island has reliable power and water, and another four to six weeks until power and water is fully restored, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero (D) said this week.
Residents who do have water must boil it before use, and conserve as much as possible. Power may be on, but dim. Communications, including cell service and internet access, are still spotty. (The governor’s office was delayed by about 12 hours responding to The Post’s inquiries, as it also battled limited power, internet and phone service.)
“Every day it’s going to get better,” Leon Guerrero said during a news conference. “Now my calls are not dropped at my first word. They’re only dropped at my last sentence. That’s a sign of good progress,” she added with a laugh.
Guam sits about 1,500 miles east of the Philippines, and nearly 6,000 miles southwest of California. Its distance from the continental United States often results in supply challenges, and its population of about 170,000 has a median income that falls well below national rates. About 16 percent of Guam residents are considered under the poverty line.
Early assessments from the local government estimate that Mawar destroyed 602 homes on Guam, and that another 1,030 homes received major damage.
President Biden on May 25 approved a disaster declaration for Guam, activating a Federal Emergency Management Agency response. The agency said it has received nearly 5,300 applications for individual assistance so far, and that more than 600 FEMA personnel are working to distribute food and water, restore power and water, and help residents register for assistance on the island.
For some, the support hasn’t been enough.
Jesse Alig, mayor for the central village of Piti, blasted what he called a delayed and unorganized response to Mawar’s aftermath. Alig, who is president of the Mayors’ Council of Guam, said he and fellow mayors have assumed the responsibility of ensuring that residents have water and other necessities.
“What a shame, that [residents] don’t have water. What a shame that they don’t have aid. What a shame that FEMA is on Guam, and only today, they’re going to get water for the people. … On the sixth day of recovery, we’re going to get water from FEMA?” Alig testified during an emergency session of the Guam Legislature on Tuesday. “We, the people of Guam, are suffering.”
“What’s the plan?” Alig said.
FEMA said in a statement to The Post that it began delivering food and water on Guam on Sunday, three days after the typhoon passed and Biden declared a disaster. The Post could not independently verify when distribution began.
“So far, FEMA has delivered 75,600 bottles of water and 59,520 meals to emergency shelters for disaster survivors,” said Jeremy Edwards, FEMA press secretary. The agency aims to open a disaster recovery center this weekend, “and we are planning to set up three more where they’ll best serve the needs of survivors,” he said.
The agency was “pre-positioning personnel, equipment and resources before the storm impacted Guam,” Edwards said. “Over 100 generators as well as emergency communications equipment and specialized personnel have mobilized.”
On the northern end of the island, RoCelia Paulino’s family has running water — but without power, they’ve been forced to sleep outside.
The island’s weather won’t budge below 80-something degrees and 90 percent humidity, and it’s too suffocating to sleep inside their Dededo home.
The family of three laid down a futon in the back of their truck, and placed blankets in the trunk of their other car. “I think that’s the hardest part, because when it rains, we have to readjust or go back into the house. So our sleep is very choppy,” the 22-year-old said.
Most of the family’s days are spent attempting to catch a slight breeze outside. Paulino’s neighbors and nearby family gather for dinner every evening.
“If food is defrosting faster in one household, we cook that first and share,” she said. “We gather outside our house under a canopy and some tables. … It helps all of us make our resources last as long as possible.”
A Guam Power Authority official told a neighbor that the area is too damaged for power to be restored at the moment, Paulino said.
Typhoon Pongsona was the last major storm to slam the island, 21 years ago, and many remained without power and water for three months after that. That won’t be the case this time, said the governor’s press secretary, Krystal Paco-San Agustin.
“Compared to past typhoons, we are making record progress toward recovery,” Paco-San Agustin told The Post. “This is a result of lessons learned and investments made to harden our homes, like concrete shelters and typhoon shutters. Not only does this ensure our speedy recovery but also our resilience.”
Meanwhile, Manglona will have to fill another five-gallon jug when she wakes up Friday.
She’s not sure how much longer she can manage.
“You don’t feel good,” she said. “I can’t do this for even two more days.”