PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has come up with a $176,000 grant to provide crisis counseling in American Samoa in the aftermath of a deadly tsunami.

FEMA spokesman James Shebl says a team of 24 crisis counselors has begun visiting villages to conduct outreach, education and referrals for people affected by the disaster.
Kenneth R. Tingman is the federal coordinating officer for the American Samoa recovery effort.
He says losing a loved one, a home, business or personal property in a disaster takes an emotional and financial toll on survivors. He adds “the emotional toll a disaster exacts can be especially devastating.”
The Sept. 29 tsunami triggered by a magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga.