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Seabees Provide Assistance at Earthquake Disaster Site

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070723-11
Release Date: 7/23/2007 4:34:00 PM

By Christine Lohr, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- A detail of 15 Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Far East Public Works Department, U.S. Naval Air Facility Atsugi, departed July 18 to join a multi-service relief effort in response to an earthquake that struck the Niigata region on July 16.

The Seabees' mission is to install approximately 100 air-conditioning units at 24 of the earthquake shelters set up by the Japanese government, to help mitigate the effects of the high humidity of the rainy season.

Lt.j.g. Andrew Hayes, officer in charge of the Seabee detachment, said that the air-conditioning units have already been plugged into the electrical system and tested without difficulty.

“Our Seabees are working together now with Japanese Ground Defense Forces, training them to help us on the installations,” Hayes said.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Niigata Prefecture injured more than a thousand, left thousands homeless and killed nine people, according to a release by the Japanese government.

Niigata prefecture initially set up 75 evacuation sites, which have now been consolidated to 34 sites. Many of the 10,000 evacuees have been able to return home as power has been restored, but countless others are still in shelters.