While still struggling to rise from the ruins of previous disasters, the CNMI is back to square after Sinlaku
- Admin
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
By Bryan Manabat and Jayvee Vallejera
Saipan— Across the Northern Marianas, businesses are struggling to reopen as the islands operate on a patchwork of generator power. Grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants and hardware suppliers are running limited hours because of fuel shortages and the high cost of keeping generators online.
Darkness settled on Saipan and Tinian following Super Typhoon Sinlaku, a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph that made landfall on the islands on April 14. With unprecedented fury, lingered for more than 24 hours, destroyed homes and commercial buildings and knocked out utility infrastructure across the islands.
Sinlaku passed over Guam and Rota before raging through Saipan and Tinian after shifting tracks, staggering from Chuuk. While Guam suffered damage as well, it was spared the extent of destruction Sinlaku left in the Northern Marianas, which was directly hit. Guam managed to restore most of its power, water and telecommunication services within a week. According to the government of Guam’s preliminary report, Sinlaku cost “tens of millions of dollars,” hitting the Tumon Bay tourist district the hardest.
The White House has declared a major disaster for the Northern Mariana Islands, unlocking federal assistance and recovery efforts. But officials cautioned recovery might take a while. On Saipan, a total of 15,624 power customers were affected and 11,637 customers still lacked lack running water one week after the storm. Tinian remained without grid power, with all feeders offline and 1,059 customers.
Saipan Marianas, a retail outlet commonly known as SM, has barely operated since the storm, according to operations manager Maria Javier.
The store, which has been operating for 32 years, is facing one of the steepest downturns in its history, Javier said. Some establishments have reopened partially, offering limited services and conducting cash‑only transactions due to unstable connectivity. Customers come with whatever cash they have, often far below the listed price.
“People are financially in distress,” Javier said. “If the price is $100 and their money is only $50, I give it for $50. I’m selling a cabinet for $50 and they ask for $25, so I just give it for $25. Everybody’s struggling.”
Javier estimates sales have dropped up to 95 percent, a dramatic contrast to Typhoon Soudelor in 2015, when residents stocked up heavily before landfall.
She takes advantage of the downtime to reorganize and downsize the store, preparing for the day utilities return. She plans to focus on items not widely available elsewhere on island, such as futons, pillows, blankets, mosquito nets, baby items, dish drainers and other basic necessities.
Chie Borja of Chalan Kiya has seen firsthand the effects of the many trials the CNMI endured in recent years. “We really feel the impact of these events. Sales are down, some customers are moving to other places, reduced work hours. It's a chain reaction,” said Borja, who has worked in the retail industry for 18 years.
Her work hours have been cut, which means fewer dollars to pay for rent, utilities, internet, car payments, insurance and healthcare. “A reduction of hours is better than not working at all,” she said.
Michael Temperante, owner of 3Hi‑Res Design and Print in Chalan Kanoa, managed to open for half days at times but said full operations remain uncertain. His shop flooded during the typhoon despite secured shutters as strong winds drove rainwater inside soaking equipment and apparel.
“I’m not sure when regular operations will resume, as most businesses and government offices are closed,” Temperante said.
Tourism, the commonwealth’s primary economic driver, has again been severely disrupted. Hotels are relying on generators to maintain basic operations. Many have suspended bookings while assessing structural damage and waiting for stable power and water service.
As of this writing, Saipan International Airport is open only for emergency and humanitarian flights. Visitor arrivals have effectively halted and tour operators, transportation companies and small vendors are reporting significant losses.
Sinlaku was the latest in a series of unfortunate events that have befallen the already ill-fated commonwealth. The brutal assault came amid the commonwealth’s struggle to recover from the impact of previous disasters.
In the last decade alone, the CNMI economy—already on the ropes after the death of its garment industry in 2009—took a mortal blow when the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the entire world in 2019, shutting down tourism, the commonwealth’s remaining industry.
From a projected $258 million in revenue in 2019, the CNMI government’s budget fell to just $141.5 million, leading to shorter hours, furloughs, layoffs and other austerity measures.
Barely 18 days after the pandemic emergency was lifted, Typhoon Mawar sliced through the Marianas as a Category 4 storm. Regarded as the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2023, its ferocious winds largely hammered Guam, while storm-force winds also inflicted significant damage on Rota.
In May 2023, the World Health Organization ended the Covid-19 global health emergency. But the CNMI’s efforts to boost its arrival numbers to pre-pandemic levels have not succeeded. According to the Marianas Visitors Authority’s latest data, the CNMI welcomed 15,495 visitors in February, a 2-percent decline from 15,802 in February 2025. Visitor arrivals have been dropping since June 2024.
Before the pandemic, the CNMI had 418,000 visitors, mostly from Korea, the CNMI’s top tourism source market.
The stagnant tourism was the result of a combination of natural disasters, pandemic, corporate policies and economic conditions of the CNMI’s source markets.
CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds acknowledged that the CNMI has been under sustained pressure over the past decade. Since Super Typhoon Yutu ripped through the CNMI in October 2018, the islands have faced one crisis after another, limiting the community’s ability to fully recover.
“Even before this storm, many businesses were operating on the edge, families were facing higher costs and critical infrastructure had little capacity to absorb new shocks,” she said. “The path to rebuilding is narrowing as these pressures compound.”
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Saipan resident Catherine Perry noted that fear is a natural reaction to calamity. “But we are by no means defeated,” she said.
A predominantly Catholic community, CNMI residents sought strength from their faith and traditional values: “respect, inafa’maulek, meaning to do good to others; and awoowoo, meaning to be one-hearted,” Perry said.
But resilience alone is not a long-term strategy, King-Hinds said. “Recovery will depend on stabilizing the economy and addressing the constraints that are holding it back,” she said. “The focus is on addressing underlying issues and pursuing clear steps to stabilize the economy alongside recovery efforts.”
Sinlaku was the latest in a string of storms that have savaged the CNMI in recent years. An accident of geography has placed the CNMI squarely in the Pacific’s typhoon alley.
In 2015, Typhoon Soudelor caused $20 million worth of damage on Saipan. Successive ferocious typhoons such as Mangkhut and Yutu in 2018 were estimated to have resulted in $1 billion in damage cost.
This is where engaging with federal partners becomes even more critical, King-Hinds said, noting that the margin for error has become very thin. So far, there is no damage estimate for Sinlaku. “Assessments are still ongoing and getting the numbers right is important because they will determine the resources that can be deployed,” King-Hinds said.
The immediate priority is recovery, restoring power, clearing debris, and getting families back into stable conditions. After that is restoring economic activity, stabilizing costs, and ensuring the systems that support the economy are functioning.
Some of this work is local, King-Hinds said, but much depends on federal decisions. That includes securing disaster supplemental funding, accelerating investments that harden infrastructure against future storms and advancing policies that support economic recovery, including workforce flexibility, support for tourism recovery and relief for small businesses.
“This disaster highlights the vulnerability our islands face. When communities are already under strain, disasters become more complex and costly,” she said.
This is the reality of the CNMI, King-Hinds said, and it is that reality that should shape federal actions—one that removes barriers to the CNMI’s long-term economic viability and focuses on actions that produce results.
On Guam, the business community noted how fast the Guam Power Authority and the Guam Waterworks Authority restored services, demonstrating “what disciplined operations can achieve under pressure.”
“Their example should not be treated as exceptional. It should become the baseline expectation for every agency responsible for facilities and essential services,” the Guam Chamber of Commerce said in a statement. “Sinlaku made another point obvious: recovery is faster when organizations have plans before the storm arrives. That includes inventory systems, vendor relationships, clear chains of command, backup procedures, and workforce readiness. The strongest recovery is the one that is already rehearsed.”
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