Most Saipan residents still without power and water one week after Sinlaku’s onslaught
- Admin
- Apr 21
- 4 min read
By Bryan Manabat
Saipan— Most residents on Saipan still have no power or running water one week after Super Typhoon Sinlaku tore across the Northern Mariana Islands on April 14, crippling the island’s electrical grid and shutting down the water system that serves thousands of homes.
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has 15,624 customers on Saipan, including 11,769 residential homes, all of whom lost electricity during an islandwide outage on April 13, the day before Sinlaku made landfall.
While some businesses and households are operating on private generators, the vast majority remain without grid power.
CUC restored its first major circuit on April 19, energizing Feeder 1 to bring the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. back online. But widespread outages continue across the island, and no timeline has been released for broader restoration.
As the need for life-saving humanitarian relief surged, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District’s Power Planning and Response Team said it prioritized getting temporary emergency power online on Saipan.
Within 24 hours upon arrival, the team worked rapidly under challenging conditions to successfully install three critical generators for water facilities, with more planned, marking a major operational milestone in the island's recovery.
“This mission is vital for stabilizing critical public facilities across Saipan and Tinian, allowing essential services to resume despite the lingering effects of localized flooding and heavy rainfall, fallen debris and downed powerlines,” USACE said.
Officials said a Generator Staging Base at the Saipan Port facilitated the rapid restoration of temporary emergency power.
"The successful installation of these generators is a testament to the relentless work of our Power Planning and Response team and our seamless partnership with FEMA and territorial partners,” said Lt. Col. Adrian Biggerstaff, commander USACE Honolulu District.
“Restoring power means restoring critical services and hope to these impacted islands. This is just the first step, and the Honolulu District remains fully committed to standing by these communities throughout this recovery,” he added.
Water service remains even more limited. Saipan has 9,433 residential water customers, but as of April 20, only 1,038 homes — roughly 11 percent — have running water. CUC reports that 80 percent of customers still have no service.
To help residents without running water, CUC has established public water filling stations in several villages. Stations are operating in Capitol Hill along Capitol Hill Road; Chalan Kanoa on Dr. Torres Drive in front of William S. Reyes Elementary School; Koblerville along Tinaktak Drive; and Kagman on Chacha Road across from Santa Soledad Church.
Saipan’s water system depends on 13 aquifers, 13 Tank Service Areas, and 127 wells capable of producing up to 10.3 million gallons per day. Fourteen large storage tanks distribute water across the island, but nearly all require electricity or generators to pump water uphill to homes.
With the power grid down, most TSA zones remain dry. FEMA generators have begun arriving to power critical wells, but CUC officials say restoring water service will require a combination of grid repairs, generator deployment, and clearing debris around well sites.
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Tinian also suffered an islandwide outage on April 14, affecting 1,035 power customers, including 721 residential homes. As of April 21, no official update has been issued on whether partial power has been restored.
The island’s water system relies on a single large sump area that collects rainwater, along with the Maui II well, which is equipped with two backup generators and four 100‑gpm pumps. The system feeds the Carolina Heights tank, which supplies San Jose village, the airport and surrounding areas.
Rota, which relies entirely on a mountain cave spring for its water supply, has seen faster progress.
According to the Rota Mayor’s Office, CUC crews began restoring electricity immediately after the “all clear” was issued on April 17. Power was restored to parts of Songsong village that same day, with priority given to the Rota Health Center. By April 18, electricity had also returned to some areas of Sinapalo.
“The restoration of power is a vital step toward recovery, bringing relief, stability, and hope to our residents as we continue to rebuild together,” the mayor’s office said, praising CUC Rota’s “tireless efforts” and urging continued patience as line crews work long hours under difficult conditions.
With Saipan’s grid heavily damaged and its water system dependent on electricity, officials warn that full restoration will take time. For now, most residents remain without basic utilities, relying on generators, bottled water, and community support as recovery operations continue across the Commonwealth.
USACE is also tackling housing damage left in Sinlaku’s wake. A specialized temporary roofing team of four experts conducted extensive aerial assessments of Saipan, Tinian and Rota to determine needs.
To ensure speed and endurance in recovery, FEMA has advised that both contractors and military personnel be used to install the tin roofs. These logistical plans are actively being developed.
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