A typhoon doesn’t wait for policy debates

Live from Saipan By Zaldy Dandan

Saipan — A week or so after Super Typhoon Sinlaku mauled Saipan and Tinian, a left-leaning U.S. think tank claimed that the culprits behind the devastation are “climate colonialism,” the islands’ political status, Trump and the war on Iran.

Of course, there have been super typhoons in this region long before the U.S. planted its flag in the Marianas. And come to think of it, these islands are in a typhoon alley to begin with.

But OK, sure—while activists blame climate change and push for “green” reforms, can we also figure out actual measures that will better prepare the islands for the next typhoon? It’s essentially a crapshoot. We don’t really know when another typhoon will strike or whether it will again hit Saipan or another island in the archipelago.

Right now, however, we can discuss how to better protect our power and water infrastructure, as well as homes and businesses. What will these initiatives cost? How can we afford them? When can we begin implementing them?

In short, what are the new, hard lessons taught by Sinlaku?

It could have been worse, to be sure—and it wasn’t, in part because we did learn from Soudelor and Yutu, the other super typhoons that struck Saipan in August 2015 and October 2018. (Prior to Soudelor, the last typhoon to make landfall on Saipan was Jean in April 1968.) Many of the concrete power poles installed after Yutu withstood Sinlaku’s fury. So did homes and other structures rebuilt based on FEMA specifications.

Moreover, critical information was shared in a timely manner with the media and the public—at least until Sinlaku knocked out the Emergency Operations Center’s generator, which could not be immediately repaired due to extreme wind conditions. Saipan and Tinian residents, as well as the first responders, were strongly advised to “shelter in place,” as an “extreme wind warning [was] in effect — take action now to protect your life.”

Perhaps because of the massive disaster aid that followed Soudelor and Yutu, many of us, in the aftermath of Sinlaku, expect help immediately. We seem to have forgotten that mobilizing emergency assistance, especially from the federal government, requires a process and depends on coordination among major agencies. We seem to have confused them with The Avengers, who show up instantly in times of trouble.

Others have complained about the local government’s “inability” to prepare better for super typhoons. But it seems many have also forgotten the enormous cost of such preparations, the weak economy and the financially strained condition of the Northern Marianas government. We know what needs to be done to better prepare for the next disaster. What we don’t know is where to find the funding to pay for it.

For some of us, standing in line for hours just to buy a bag or two of ice in the aftermath of Sinlaku is beyond the pale—if not a glaring symptom of everything that is wrong with the world today, besides Trump.

But we just survived a natural catastrophe that shut down the power system. Demand for ice has surged while supply has plummeted. What, exactly, do we expect to happen? And what do we expect the feds, the governor, the mayor, and other officials to do on short notice to bring us ice when we want a cold drink?

As in past disasters, the assistance already being provided—and that which will soon arrive—should be more than adequate. The problem, as usual, is that so many people need help at the same time, hence the long lines under the sun.

Speaking of which, small mercies: as of this writing, it has not rained for over a week since Sinlaku left after howling and lingering over the islands for more than two days. Flooded areas and stagnant waters—breeding grounds for mosquitoes—have dried up.

Lines at gasoline stations have also eased, but then there’s the laundry situation. Laundromats require significant amounts of power and water, and few have reopened, resulting in long lines and irate customers—often irate at one another.

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Households, in any case, should write down their experiences during and after the typhoon and figure out how to better prepare for such disruptions.

In my case, aside from filling up our vehicles' gas tanks, stockpiling drinking water, buying new batteries for flashlights, charging power banks and having mini-fans ready, I now realize the need to buy extra fuel for a small generator— and to have larger containers for bathroom water in case we experience another slow-moving typhoon like Sinlaku.

It also pays to find parking that can keep your vehicle safe from flooding and debris.

From Yutu, one clear lesson remains: board up your windows and prepare for water intrusion even if you live on the second floor.

Again, we are in a typhoon alley. There are many practical steps we can take to better protect our families and homes from the next storm while the crusaders among us continue to battle their political fixations.

Zaldy Dandan is the editor of the CNMI’s oldest — and only remaining — newspaper, Marianas Variety. His fourth book, “If He Isn’t Insane Then He Should Be: Stories & Poems from Saipan,” is available on amazon.com/.

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