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Patching work begins on Fagaima Road after more recent flooding

Workers from Silva Construction at the Fagaima Road
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Tualauta Rep. Larry S. Sanitoa made a request to DPW to help with patching the potholes as well cleaning up some of the damaged areas in Fagaima and nearby sections, following “torrential and dangerous downpour” last week Wednesday and Thursday. In response, Department of Public Works contracted Silva Construction to permanently patch potholes with asphalt,

Residents contacted Sanitoa and his Tualauta collague, Rep. Sam Meleisea for help with their damaged homes due to severe runoff water from overflow drainage areas and flooding.

“We were able to refer many of these families to the [local] Red Cross for assistance,” Sanitoa wrote last Friday to Public Works director Faleosina Voigt, who was asked to send a maintenance crew to clean up damaged areas on the road, including clearing the clogged drainage as well as patching up several dangerous and hazardous pot holes throughout Tualauta district — once weather improved.

Over the weekend, the weather didn’t improve until late Monday morning when the patching-work started.

DPW was also asked to help with the clogged drainage in the Ottoville area, following Thursday’s downpour after some families near the drainage had their homes flooded.

There were also flooded homes reported to the Tualauta lawmakers from families who resides behind the SAAB Store in Tafuna. The families complained that the flooding problem is caused by the drainage runoff next to SAAB. These families were also referred by Sanitoa to Red Cross for assistance, according to Sanitoa.

Several families and motorists reported dangerous potholes on this Mapusaga/Fou Aoloau road. And DPW was asked to send a crew there.

Yesterday, Sanitoa sent a thank you note to Voigt for sending a Silva Construction crew to patch up the potholes at Fagaima road.

“Pictures and video clips from families whose homes were flooded during the dangerous downpour last week will be forwarded for your reference,” he wrote to Voight.

He is also hopeful that this can be included in the ASG application to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Fagaima project and the Cost-U-Less drainage.