SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) — It’s been about 10 days since a typhoon devastated Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) — It’s been about 10 days since a typhoon devastated Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.
The island in the U.S. territory remains without electricity but water service has been restored to some villages.
A one-stop disaster recovery center staffed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross and other relief agencies is expected to open today.
Typhoon Soudelor struck Saipan with more than 100 mph winds, tearing tin homes off foundations, flooding houses that withstood winds, uprooting trees and snapping wooden utility poles.
There still are no reports of deaths or serious injury.
As residents cope with the storm’s aftermath, some businesses are reopening. There were some players at gambling tables and slot machines at Best Sunshine casino Tuesday.
It will take about three to four weeks to restore power on Saipan following damage from Soudelor, according to the island’s Commonwealth Utilities Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The White House declared the island a disaster area, triggering additional federal aid. Saipan is home to most of the population of the Northern Mariana Islands.