Super Typhoon Sinlaku batters Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on April 14, 2026, bringing ferocious winds, relentless rain, and widespread damage. The storm made its most direct impact on Saipan and Tinian—the two most populated islands of the Northern Mariana Islands — with the eye making landfall around midnight as a strong Category 4 typhoon. The National Weather Service reported sustained winds of up to 150 mph at landfall, with gusts forecast as high as 175 mph.

The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are US territories in the western Pacific, home to tens of thousands of American citizens. Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands and its capital, is known for its resorts and beaches, but the islands’ economy has struggled for years. Saipan was still recovering from Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and according to longtime resident Glen Hunter, the economy has yet to rebound. The region has been struck by multiple super typhoons—the equivalent of Category 4 or higher hurricanes—in the last decade alone.

Sinlaku—named after a Micronesian goddess of nature and breadfruit—slowed as it approached the islands, a detail that alarmed meteorologists. Landon Aydlett, warning coordination meteorologist at the United States National Weather Service Guam, warned that many residents would “wake up to a different island.”

Super Typhoon 🌀 #Sinlaku is battering Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands. Sustained winds of 200 km/h have been recorded, along with torrential rain and large storm surges.

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— Meteored (@meteored.com) April 14, 2026 at 12:17 PM

“This is not going to be an easy night for anyone across Tinian or Saipan. This is going to be a loud night,” Aydlett said.

Northern Mariana Islands Governor David M. Apatang (I) urged residents to shelter in place as conditions deteriorated rapidly. The Commonwealth Homeland Security and Emergency Management office issued a shelter-in-place order for all residents on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. All government offices, businesses, and non-essential services were ordered to close, and the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority suspended all transportation services.

“Please stay off the roads. This is not a storm we can afford to take lightly. Emergency services will only respond in critical situations because conditions are unsafe at this point,” Apatang said.

Clement Bermudez, special assistant for Homeland Security and Emergency Management, warned residents that power outages were expected to be widespread, while water service was expected to remain functional initially due to generators at the wells. Commonwealth Utilities Corporation crews were staged and ready to deploy for restoration as soon as conditions allowed.

Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho (I) of Saipan described conditions on the ground as he watched a glass door bend from wind pressure.

To Saipan’s south, Guam—a separate US territory with approximately 170,000 residents and several major United States military installations—experienced tropical storm conditions, flash flooding, and power outages before Sinlaku shifted toward the Northern Mariana Islands. The United States military, which controls roughly one-third of Guam’s land, warned personnel to shelter in place.

President Donald Trump approved emergency disaster declarations for both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands ahead of the storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating across multiple agencies and had dispatched nearly 100 FEMA staff, with additional personnel staged on Guam ready to deploy to the Northern Mariana Islands once conditions cleared. Governor Apatang said federal support was expected to begin arriving by April 17, 2026. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero (D) also reached out directly to Apatang to offer support. Governor Josh Green of Hawaii (D) called Governor Leon Guerrero on Tuesday to express his best wishes and offer of support if needed as well.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku a reminder of colonialism

For organizations working across the territories, the storm underscored a deeper structural issue. Right to Democracy, an organization that works to advance democracy, equity, and self-determination in the US territories, called attention to the lack of agency that island communities have over environmental decisions and disaster recovery programs.

“Despite repeatedly suffering these disasters, our island communities have no agency over environmental decisions or disaster recovery programs,” said Adi Martínez Román, co-director of Right to Democracy. “The actions of the federal government on climate issues are characterized by being unilateral, and solutions imposed without the participation of the territories often fail to capture local knowledge or adequately protect our fragile ecosystems. This highlights how environmental vulnerability is deeply tied to the lack of democratic representation.”

Her comments were echoed by Right to Democracy environment and democracy fellows Maria Hernandez, Sheila Babauta, and Nayda Bobonis, who emphasized the realities and dangers of climate change, deep-sea mining, militarization, and colonialism that the US territories face. “While we face the fury of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, we are reminded that climate change is our daily reality,” Hernandez said. The two United States territories sit at the heart of American military power projection in the Pacific.

Organizations are urging those who want to help to direct donations to community-based groups already working across the archipelago. The Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, a community-based organization, will distribute contributions through local organizations across all affected islands to individuals and families. Funds will go toward food, water, basic necessities, transportation, emergency shelter, and other urgent needs.