Super Typhoon Sinlaku nears Guam and Northern Mariana Islands with flooding risk and destructive winds

Super Typhoon Sinlaku is forecast to pass over or near the Northern Mariana Islands late Tuesday, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and destructive winds that may cause power outages, according to the National Weather Service. Guam is not expected to take a direct hit but could still see damaging wind gusts, officials said.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku was closing in on remote US islands in the Pacific. The storm hit Guam with heavy rain and tropical storm-force gusts before landfall. The National Weather Service warned of flooding and damaging winds across the Northern Mariana Islands late Tuesday local time. Officials said long power cuts were possible.

Sinlaku was producing sustained winds of 173 mph (278 kph) on Monday. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported the core was nearing Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Forecasters expected some weakening in coming days. Even so, the storm was still likely to pass as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku track and island impact

Joshua Schank, a lead meteorologist in Guam, said the path stayed close to Tinian and Saipan. Sinlaku was expected to move over or skirt those islands. Guam was not forecast to get a direct hit. However, Guam could still face damaging winds during the storm’s passage.

In Guam, conditions deteriorated before dawn on Tuesday. Schank said heavy rain was already falling, with gusts reaching 60 mph (96 kph). Most businesses were shut and residents were advised to stay indoors. The warnings came after Typhoon Mawar cut electricity for days in 2023.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku emergency response and FEMA support

President Donald Trump on Saturday approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The move allowed extra assistance for emergency services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating help across agencies. Nearly 100 FEMA staff were being deployed, along with other federal teams.

Support also included personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation. The US Army Corps of Engineers was part of the response plan. "We are ready to respond to this event,\" Robert Fenton, a FEMA regional administrator, said from Guam on Sunday. Fenton said supplies and staffing preparations began late last week.

FEMA’s work continued during a record-long Department of Homeland Security Shutdown. The agency said its emergency response duties carried on despite the funding impasse. Over 10,000 disaster personnel were still being paid. FEMA said its disaster relief fund held about USD 3.6 billion around late March.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku definition and storm history

A super typhoon is the label for the strongest tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific. These systems are tracked by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam. They match Category 4 or 5 Atlantic hurricanes. Winds must reach at least 150 mph (240 kph) to qualify.

Since the warning centre began using the term nearly 80 years ago, more than 300 super typhoons have been recorded. Around 50,000 people live on Rota, Tinian and Saipan, mostly on Saipan. Saipan is also the Northern Mariana Islands capital. The island was a major World War II battleground with over 50,000 deaths.

US military officials in Guam warned personnel to prepare and shelter in place. The military controls about one-third of Guam’s land and uses the island as a key Pacific hub. While Guam was not expected to be in Sinlaku’s direct path, forecasters still warned of disruptive winds, heavy rain, and flooding risks across nearby islands.

With inputs from PTI