Northern Marianas officials issued urgent warnings Tuesday as Super Typhoon Sinlaku moved on a direct path toward Saipan, telling residents to shelter in place and prepare for life‑threatening conditions expected around midnight.
As of Tuesday, the Joint Information Center reported 304 individuals in emergency shelters across the CNMI.
Gov. David M. Apatang called on the community to act immediately.
“As typhoon Sinlaku continues to approach the Marianas, I urge all members of the community to follow guidance from the Office of Homeland Security, shelter in place and continue all typhoon preparedness measures,” he said.
He warned that roads will soon become dangerous.
“Please stay off the roads. This is not a storm we can afford to take lightly,” Apatang said. He added that emergency responders will be limited once winds intensify. “Emergency services will only respond in critical situations because conditions are unsafe.”
Apatang urged residents to remain calm and stay put.
“Stay at the shelter, stay at your house, don't go around, and be safe,” he said.
On utilities, he noted that restoration will begin as soon as crews can safely deploy.
“Once it’s safe to go out there, CUC will mobilize their line crews out there to try to restore power.”
He also confirmed federal coordination.
“They’re ready to throw their support to the Commonwealth once this is clear,” he said.
Clement Bermudes, special assistant for Homeland Security and Emergency Management, echoed the governor’s warnings, stressing that the worst conditions are still ahead.
“The force that you feel from this storm is not even close to what it will be when it gets here,” he said. “Please seek safety and do not take this lightly.”
Bermudes urged residents to rely only on official information. “Get it from Homeland Security… we get it directly from the National Weather Service, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and other federal assets,” he said.
He repeated guidance to shelter in place. “Stay indoors, away from windows, as far interior as you can.”
Bermudes said the storm’s most dangerous period is expected “three hours before midnight and three hours after midnight,” with the most likely track now pointing directly at the islands.
While no major incidents had been reported as of the briefing, he noted falling trees and worsening winds.
“It’s a reassurance for first responders that people are actually listening and taking the notices and the advisories seriously,” he said.
Both officials emphasized that emergency crews cannot respond during peak conditions. “We cannot honestly humanely do anything during the storm,” Bermudes said. “Once we go to all clear… we can properly and immediately respond to the needs of the community.”
