A powerful super typhoon is set to affect a series of isolated U.S. islands located in the Pacific Ocean, with the National Weather Service (NWS) alerting residents of potential “catastrophic damage.”
Super Typhoon Sinlaku is projected to move near Guam, posing considerable threats to the Northern Mariana Islands in the upcoming days.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has identified Sinlaku as a Super Typhoon, boasting maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, categorizing it as a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as of Tuesday morning local time.
Forecasts indicate that Sinlaku will pass to the north of Guam, bringing with it winds categorized as high-end tropical-storm-force. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Guam, predicting sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 70 mph, alongside wave heights at sea ranging from 15 to 25 feet, lasting until at least Wednesday morning.
According to the latest predictions from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Sinlaku is anticipated to move close to or directly over Tinian and Saipan—key islands in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—on Tuesday night local time. The storm is expected to maintain Category 4 or 5 status, as indicated by the NWS.
Typhoon-force winds are likely to begin affecting Tinian and Saipan by Tuesday afternoon local time, as stated by the NWS.
The NWS in Guam has issued typhoon warnings for both Tinian and Saipan, projecting sustained winds between 125 to 145 mph, with gusts reaching up to 160 mph, expected until at least Wednesday evening. The agency cautions that “catastrophic damage is possible if the predicted path and wind speeds are accurate.”
Coastal flooding of 5 to 8 feet is anticipated for Tinian and Saipan, with wind and wave activity potentially driving water levels 10 to 15 feet higher along beaches and reefs facing the wind, according to the NWS.
A typhoon warning has also been issued for Rota, the southernmost island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, predicting sustained winds that may reach up to 75 mph until at least Wednesday evening.
Sinlaku is likely to bring significant rainfall to several Northern Mariana Islands, with totals expected to exceed 15 to 25 inches near the storm’s center, and even higher amounts possible as it progresses through the region. Flood watches remain in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan through Wednesday morning due to the anticipated heavy rainfall.
President Donald Trump has approved an emergency disaster declaration for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which will facilitate disaster relief efforts, as reported by FEMA.
It is important to note that typhoons are essentially the same meteorological phenomenon as hurricanes. They are referred to as typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean, while in the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean, they are called hurricanes.
