resident Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands following the widespread destruction left by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, unlocking federal individual and public assistance for thousands of residents whose homes were destroyed on Saipan and Tinian.
Del. Kimberlyn King‑Hinds said the approval came after coordination with federal partners to accelerate the CNMI government’s request.
“President Trump has just signed the major disaster declaration that we have been working to expedite on behalf of the CNMI government,” she said. “The governor specifically requested individual assistance, public assistance, including direct federal assistance for folks who need it. And so this is the first major step to be able to get to unlock and open up federal support for the people in the CNMI who desperately need it at this very critical time.”
She added that more details on available programs will be released as FEMA finalizes guidance.
The declaration authorizes FEMA to provide individual assistance for temporary housing, home repairs, and other direct support to affected families, as well as public assistance to help restore damaged public infrastructure. Federal teams are expanding assessments across the islands as recovery operations continue.
