Typhoon Sinlaku

The U.S. Small Business Administration is urging business owners, nonprofits, and independent contractors to apply for federal disaster assistance.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a little more than $2 million in disaster loans for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as Typhoon Sinlaku recovery efforts continue, according to SBA Public Affairs Specialist Raenada Mason.

CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King‑Hinds delivered an urgent appeal on the U.S. House floor Thursday, warning that the Commonwealth’s aging infrastructure, fragile economy and slow‑moving federal policies have left the islands dangerously exposed — a vulnerability laid bare by the devastation of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

FEMA has approved 1,670 disaster assistance applications for CNMI survivors, releasing $5.5 million in individual assistance as of May 12, according to FEMA External Affairs Officer Veronica Verde.

Samaritan’s Purse medical director Lauren Ralston says the organization’s field hospital will treat anyone who walks in — “no questions asked” — as teams continue providing free medical care across Saipan in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

A roofing inspector conducting an authorized assessment in Navy Hill, Saipan, reported that a nearby resident fired a gun Monday afternoon, prompting a DPS investigation into the firearm discharge.

Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho says his office is prepared to verify residency for storm‑affected households whose records were damaged or destroyed during the typhoon.

Public schools in the CNMI will not reopen this year as recovery assessments show the majority of campuses remain unsafe or not operational.

Tourism recovery in the Marianas will unfold in three deliberate phases, the Marianas Visitors Authority announced, emphasizing that rebuilding the industry must track with the islands’ overall post‑Sinlaku recovery.

Saipan water restoration is now at roughly 80%, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. utility coordinator Joel Hoepner said, crediting FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for keeping critical wells online as crews work to stabilize the islandwide system.