Northern Marianas Seeks 'Major Disaster' Declaration After Typhoon Sinlaku Devastation

Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 3:37 pm
Article: RNZ

Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific correspondent in CNMI

Tiana Haxton, RNZ Pacific journalist

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is calling on the White House to declare a "major disaster" following Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastation.

The islands remain firmly in response mode after Sinlaku left a trail of destruction, with conditions across Saipan, Tinian and Rota still strained as officials work to restore critical services and bring in aid.

CNMI's Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant Clement Bermudes said there is a long road ahead to recovery.

Bermudes told Marianas Press that while they are progressing well, they do not have the necessary resources to respond fully.

"We're challenged. We don't have big and small tankers for fuel. We don't have medium tankers for water. We don't have the resources here," he said.

"And so those are what we're articulating to our federal partners, that those are the resources that we just don't have."

Bermudes said he receives countless calls daily from families asking for food and water.

He is calling for United States President Donald Trump to declare a "major disaster", saying that will "open doors" for more support.

"The guard has been working tirelessly to articulate that so the governor can transmit that to the President of the United States that we have a major disaster in our hands.

"We really need the President to declare such so he can open programmes, individual assistance, public assistance ... having disaster food stamps."

"Our peopleare resilient … but we need to help each other."

In Washington, the CNMI's delegate to the US Congress said the official request has been signed off by Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Mark Mullin.

Kimberlyn King-Hinds said it was on its way to Trump's office, and a response is expected by Wednesday evening.

"I know everybody's waiting for some sort of a relief, and through this major disaster declaration, we can start unlocking some of this federal assistance that folks have been waiting for," she said.

"It's been a long week. It feels like a month. Folks have been lining up at the gas. People been waiting for power. People have been waiting for water.

"People are just exhausted from having to endure days and days being battered by those incredibly strong winds."

Meanwhile, non-profit and federal agencies have stepped in to assist.

The American Red Cross continues shelter operations, while medical teams from the National Disaster Medical System and other non-profits are assessing locations for temporary clinics.

Multiple religious and non-profit organisations are distributing daily meals to the public, and some deliver directly to vulnerable populations.

On Saipan, response efforts are complicated by infrastructure destruction, including a sinkhole or landslide affecting access to Kagman.

CNMI's Department of Public Works secretary Ray Yumul drove Marianas Press reporters to examine the damage.

"Heavy rainfall was a contributory factor. The ground, the mountainside was extremely saturated. The drainage going down ... had a couple of clogged spots which made the run of water jump the road, and it traveled on the surface and basically got into some of the cracks in the asphalt... it just was a recipe too much rainfall and the softening of the ground just led to its collapse."

Yumul said they will have to reconstruct almost 240 feet of road.

In the meantime, alternative roads are opening to ensure access to Kagman while route 34 is repaired.

A veterinarian from the Saipan Humane Society said animal welfare post-typhoon is a concern.

With limited food and water, Dr Mariana Turner said family pets and livestock are vulnerable.

She told Marianas Press they have been in contact with global organizations to coordinate support.

"We're hoping to get, you know, not only some veterinary services out here to the area, but getting a lot of pet food, and then really also even trying to reach out to like our livestock ranchers and to see what they need. I know a lot of fences are down. I know water is hard and feed is hard."

Some families had to leave pets behind while evacuating during the storm.

Turner said reuniting pets with their displaced owners can give comfort.

"and it's all the more important that we can do our best to keep our animals as healthy as possible right now, because especially in disaster recovery, we recognize how important it is to keep our pets with our family. It's part of that comfort of keeping the family together."

The US Coast Guard, meanwhile, continues its search for six crew members whose cargo vessel experienced engine failure during the typhoon.

Officials confirmed they sighted an overturned vessel that matches the missing vessel's description 100 nautical miles away from its last known position.

After losing communication, a search and rescue flight went out on Thursday morning, but had to turn back due to the strong winds brought by Sinlaku.

The six were last heard from on Wednesday night.

© Scoop Media

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