Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero says the Government of Guam will appeal a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decision denying Individual Assistance under the Individuals and Households Program for Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
Though FEMA previously approved Public Assistance to support repairs to damaged public infrastructure, it later determined that Guam did not meet the threshold for Individual Assistance.
In a July 10 letter to the governor, FEMA said that while damage to infrastructure was "significant," a review of all available information led to the determination that the impact on individuals and households from Sinlaku "is not of such severity and magnitude to warrant the designation of individual assistance under FEMA-4921-DR."
"Therefore your request for Individuals and Household Program for the territory of Guam is denied," FEMA said.
The appeal window is 30 days from the date of the letter and must be submitted to the president through Tammy Littrell, acting regional administrator for FEMA Region IX, along with additional supporting information.
The governor disagrees with the decision, telling the community in a July 28 release that "additional information supporting Guam's request" will be presented within the appeal window.
"The decision, while disappointing, is consistent with a broader shift in federal disaster policy that the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration has cautioned about since the beginning of the Trump Administration," the governor's office said, noting the administration has been warned to expect an "increasingly larger share of disaster response and recovery costs historically borne by the federal government."
Leon Guerrero said the determination does not diminish "the very real hardships experienced by Guam families following Super Typhoon Sinlaku."
"The people of Guam know what this storm did to their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities," Leon Guerrero said. "We respectfully disagree with FEMA's determination and will use every opportunity available to demonstrate why our families qualify for this assistance. Our responsibility is to advocate relentlessly for the people we serve, and that is exactly what we intend to do."
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said Guam must prepare for an evolving federal landscape while continuing to pursue "every available source of assistance."
"We have consistently warned that federal disaster policy was changing and that states and territories would increasingly be expected to shoulder more of the burden for disaster recovery," Tenorio said. "That reality makes it even more important that Guam remain fiscally strong, resilient, and prepared. At the same time, we will continue fighting for every federal resource available under the law."
The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration is working with Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, FEMA Region IX and Delegate James Moylan to compile additional documents to support the appeal.