Radar image of Super Typhoon Sinlaku during landfall on Saipan and Tinian on April 14, 2026. (NW) (Image: NWS-Guam)
The Category 5 cyclone, named Super Typhoon Sinlaku, is currently heading straight towards the US territory in the Pacific Ocean, threatening permanent damage and power outages for residents.
With sustained winds of up to 173 mph, this massive storm has emerged as the most powerful storm of the Pacific tropical storm season. The Northern Mariana Islands, including Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, along with the island of Guam, lie directly in its trajectory.
The super typhoon, which is expected to strike the islands on Tuesday evening, has already stranded 1,500 tourists and could cause blackouts, flooding and widespread wind damage. A typhoon is a rotating storm system, similar to a hurricane or cyclone, distinguished only by where it forms over warm tropical waters.
A Category 5 hurricane, the most severe tropical cyclone, with winds in excess of 157 mph. Typhoon Yutu, the last Category 5 hurricane to threaten the U.S. territory, struck the Northern Mariana Islands in 2018, resulting in years of economic damage.
“Super Typhoon Sinlaku will bring damaging winds, widespread heavy rainfall/flooding, storm surge and coastal impacts to the Marianas Islands on Wednesday,” the National Weather Service warned.
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They also issued warnings of tropical storm-like conditions in Guam, an unincorporated territory. The governor’s office confirmed Tuesday that flights to and from the island had been canceled, preventing about 1,500 visitors from returning home.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which brought powerful winds and torrential rains, is expected to continue its onslaught for about 24 hours. The storm will eventually weaken, but the resulting power outages and flood relief efforts could be disrupted for weeks or months.
President Trump on Sunday authorized emergency disaster declarations for the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. These declarations enable agencies like FEMA to provide assistance through supplies and recovery operations. Meanwhile, US military personnel in Guam have been instructed to take shelter in place.
President Trump approves emergency disaster declarations (Image: AP)
The Northern Mariana Islands are preparing for significantly more severe damage, as Sinlaku is predicted to directly strike the area within the next 24 hours.
“It’s going to be a very long night,” Aydelet said, according to the Pacific Daily News. “Many of you in the CNMI have probably had sleepless nights because it’s going to be very loud, there will be a lot of activity going on and, unfortunately, there will be a lot of damage.”
The American commonwealth, primarily the island of Saipan, has a population of about 47,000 people. It is estimated that around 400 tourists are also stranded in the area.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku’s inner eye strikes a chain of remote US island territories (Image: CBS News)
Hurricane season in the Pacific Ocean lasts for most of the calendar year, from mid-February to early December.
The official start of hurricane season in the Atlantic is fast approaching on June 1.
AccuWeather has issued a warning that five tropical cyclones are projected to directly impact the US mainland in 2026.
