On October 24, 2018, the worst U.S. storm since 1935 devastated the Northern Mariana Islands. Typhoon Yutu tied for the strongest storm anywhere in the world for 2018. With sustained winds of 180 mph, this Category 5 typhoon demolished everything in its path. The storms giant eye completely swallowed up the island of Saipan and all of Tinian. The destruction is incredible.
Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is a commonwealth of the United States, located in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2017 statistics, approximately 52,000 people call the island home. Saipan is the second-largest island in the Mariana Islands archipelago, after Guam. Saipan is about 12 miles long and 5.6 miles wide. The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches. The eastern shore is made up of rugged rocky cliffs. The highest elevation on Saipan is a limestone-covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,560 feet. Saipan has a borderline tropical rainforest climate, with an average year-round maximum temperature of 84 ºF. With very little seasonal temperature variation, Saipan holds the record for having the least fluctuating temperatures in the world. The drier season runs from December to June and the rainier season from July to November. Typhoon season runs from July to December and Saipan usually experiences one typhoon per year. (Wikipedia)
Saipan has been completely devastated by this storm. According to emergency management officials for the commonwealth, know as the CNMI, ” We just went through one of the worst storms I’ve seen in all my experience in emergency management.”
There are hundreds of downed power poles and a large number of downed transformers and conductors. Many people on the island lost their homes and all of their belongings. They are also without water, as those services cannot be restored until the electrical issues are fixed. FEMA was dispatched immediately as President Trump declared a state of emergency the day before the storm hit. The Guam Power authority began power restoration efforts on October 28th, and U.S. Marines arrived on the island on October 29th. (MAREX, 2018-11-09)
On November 7, several crews from Ward Electric Company began their journey to Saipan to aid in the restoration of power on the island. These individuals will be working tirelessly to help the people that have been ravaged by this horrendous storm.