Super Typhoon Sinlaku could bring significant impacts to US islands in Pacific Ocean
A powerful super typhoon is on track to hit a group of remote U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean, with the National Weather Service issuing warnings of potentially “devastating damage.”
Super Typhoon Sinlaku is expected to pass near Guam and could have significant impacts on the Northern Mariana Islands in the coming days. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has classified Sinlaku as a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph as of Tuesday morning local time.
Sinlaku is projected to move north of Guam, bringing high-end tropical storm-force winds to the island. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Guam, with sustained winds of 50 to 60 mph and gusts up to 70 mph, along with waves reaching 15 to 25 feet offshore through at least Wednesday morning.
The storm is then predicted to pass near or over the islands of Tinian and Saipan, two key islands in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, on Tuesday night local time. Sinlaku is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 or 5 storm, according to the NWS.
Typhoon-force winds are forecasted to reach Tinian and Saipan by Tuesday afternoon local time. The NWS in Guam has issued typhoon warnings for both islands, with sustained winds expected to be around 125 to 145 mph and gusts up to 160 mph through at least Wednesday evening. The agency warns of the possibility of “devastating damage” if the storm maintains its current track and wind speed.
Coastal inundations of 5 to 8 feet are likely for Tinian and Saipan, with the potential for water levels to rise 10 to 15 feet above normal along windward-facing beaches and reefs due to strong winds and wave action, according to the NWS.
Additionally, a typhoon warning has been issued for Rota, the southernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands, with sustained winds possibly reaching 75 mph through Wednesday evening.
Sinlaku is also expected to bring heavy rainfall to the region, with amounts of 15 to 25 inches near the center of the storm and even higher locally as it moves across the Northern Mariana Islands. Flood watches are in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan through Wednesday morning due to the heavy rainfall.
President Donald Trump has approved an emergency disaster declaration for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to support disaster relief efforts, according to FEMA.
It is important to note that typhoons are the same weather phenomenon as hurricanes, with the term “typhoon” used in the western Pacific Ocean and “hurricane” in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
As authorities brace for the impact of Super Typhoon Sinlaku on the remote U.S. islands in the Pacific, residents are urged to take necessary precautions and heed all warnings issued by local officials to ensure their safety and well-being during this dangerous weather event.
