CNMI renews declaration of state of emergency

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Saipan:--CNMI Gov. David Apatang on Thursday extended the declaration of a state of significant emergency for another 30 days, noting the need for the commonwealth government to identify and mobilize resources as the islands recover from devastation caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

The Category 4 storm, which pounded Saipan, Tinian, and Rota between April 13 and 16, left a trail of disaster in the islands.

The governor noted that the CNMI has made "considerable strides toward recovery" after weeks of "hard work on repairs to the power grid, restoration of water service, rebuilding transportation and communications systems and provision of emergency relief.

However, "many households still remain without power, full restoration of the grid remains weeks away, the hard work of clearing debris is not yet completed, and families continue to struggle with elevated fuel costs as well as ongoing disaster-related repairs."