U.S. military aids Samoa, eyes typhoons

HONOLULU, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. military commanders in the Pacific say they are monitoring two typhoons while assisting relief efforts in tsunami-soaked Samoa.

The helicopter-equipped Navy frigate USS Ingraham was off the coast of American Samoa Saturday and the Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard have been shuttling rescue supplies and personnel in from Hawaii.

Specialists sent to Samoa include search teams, mortuary specialists and civilian officials from the Red cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The United Nations said in a written statement that it had dispatched medical specialists and supplies to the Samoan islands to assist with health and sanitation.

The Defense Department said in a written statement Friday that the military was also deployed to other areas of the Pacific Rim reeling from recent natural disasters, including Indonesia where an earthquake caused extensive damage and casualties. The landing ship USS Denver was sailing to the region.

But the trouble might not be over. Adm. Timothy Keating said Pacific Command was already moving assets around in response to Typhoon Parman, which was approaching the northern Philippines, and Typhoon Melor, which was threatening the U.S. bases on Guam and other islands in the region.

"We have moved two amphibious ships -- the USS Harpers Ferry and the USS Tortuga -- off the coast of the Philippines," Keating said.

The Philippines are still recovering from Typhoon Ketsana, which killed about 250 people on the Manila area late last month.

Keating said two typhoons churning through the Pacific at one time was not completely unusual for this time of year.