Super typhoon "extremely dangerous" Sinlaku is forecast to make landfall on Tinian and Saipan islands on the evening of April 15 at intensity level 4, bringing widespread rain and strong winds up to about 280 km/h, according to the latest typhoon news from the US National Weather Service.
At about 1 pm on April 14, local time, the center of Typhoon Sinlaku was about 80km southeast of Saipan Island.
Storm warnings have been issued for other areas of the Northern Mariana Islands - a US territory located about 2,600km east of the Philippines, with more than 47,000 inhabitants. Guam, another US territory in the western Pacific, is under storm monitoring due to the impact of Typhoon Sinlaku.
Serious damage is entirely possible" - the latest storm news from the US National Weather Service emphasized.
The news bulletin also specifically warned about the risk of debris blown away by the wind. Houses with metal roofs could be destroyed and electricity and water systems could be disrupted for days or weeks after Typhoon Sinlaku passes.
On the morning of April 14, Governor David M. Apatang's office called on people in Saipan - the capital and residential center of the Northern Mariana territory - along with Tinian and Rota islands to stay indoors.
Mr. Rego Jicko, 48 years old, with his wife and 3 children left Kagman, a village on Saipan Island, to stay at a local hotel on the morning of April 13 as the weather worsened.
Mr. Jicko said that he had never had to evacuate in storms before, but this time was the most serious he had ever experienced.
This is the strongest and scariest storm in our history," he said.
Mr. Jicko shared images of coconut trees being strongly knocked down in the wind, heavy rain and the wind whistling fiercely seen from the hotel.
Ms. Kimberlyn King-Hinds - representative of the Northern Mariana Territory in the US Congress - said that the region is still in the process of recovery after the most recent super typhoon in 2018.
This is cruel because we only have one economic sector, which is tourism" - she told Radio and Television Australia on April 14.
She said she hoped the US government would provide emergency assistance after Typhoon Sinlaku, and support long-term economic recovery for the territory.
Ms. King-Hinds is in Washington reporting to the federal government about the storm situation. She said people in Northern Mariana have been advised to seek shelter and stay away from coastal areas.
US President Donald Trump approved the declaration of a state of emergency for this area on April 12.
