Overview
- Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which reached Category 5-equivalent strength Sunday, was bearing down on the Mariana Islands Monday with sustained winds near 180 mph, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
- Typhoon warnings cover Rota, Tinian and Saipan, while Guam is under a tropical storm warning with a continuing typhoon watch after a northward track shift reduced, but did not remove, the island’s risk.
- The National Weather Service expects 15 to 25 inches of rain near the core with flash flooding, mudslides, and surf near 15 feet, and forecasters say the storm could pass the islands as a Category 4 or 5 system.
- Guam entered its highest local readiness level Monday, shelters opened across the islands, many businesses closed, airlines canceled flights, and the Coast Guard moved cutters out of Apra Harbor to aid post-storm response.
- President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations Saturday for Guam and the Northern Marianas to speed federal help, and experts note super typhoon status means winds of at least 150 mph, similar to a Category 4 or 5 Atlantic hurricane.