President Donald J. Trump Signs Emergency Declaration for American Samoa

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal emergency aid has been made available to the territory of American Samoa to supplement territory and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions in the area affected by Tropical Storm Gita beginning on February 7, 2018, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the territory of American Samoa.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

Benigno Bern Ruiz has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.