By Emily Mae Czachor
Updated April 14, 2026
Typhoon Sinlaku — the planet’s most powerful tropical cyclone so far this year — struck the remote U.S. islands of Tinian and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands early Wednesday local time, bringing extremely strong winds and heavy rain that residents say ripped tin roofs from houses.
The National Weather Service said Sinlaku had sustained winds near 150 mph, a high-end Category 4, when it made impact on Tinian and Saipan. By 11 a.m. local time Wednesday the storm’s maximum sustained winds had eased to about 130 mph as it began moving north. Forecasters expect the system to continue weakening over the coming days while it passes west of Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan.
“This felt like the strongest yet,” said Glen Hunter, who grew up on Saipan. He described watching several tin roofs blow past his yard while rain forced its way into every seam of his concrete home. “It was a losing battle because the rain was coming through everywhere. Every house is just flooded with water, no matter what type of structure you’re in.”
Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho said the island was being hit hard, with heavy rainfall and wind hampering rescue efforts. Trees were downed and weaker wooden and metal structures collapsed, he said. Some residents were rescued, but ongoing flooding and airborne debris continued to pose dangers.
Video shared by The Associated Press showed Sinlaku’s fierce winds and rain lashing Saipan as the storm stalled roughly 30 miles offshore for several hours before making landfall, prolonging exposure to destructive gusts and persistent downpours.
Nearby Guam, a U.S. territory of about 170,000 people that hosts three military bases, recorded tropical-force winds and torrential rain that produced flash flooding. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts up to 88 mph Tuesday night and frequent gusts between 70 and 80 mph thereafter. Guam’s Joint Information Center warned damaging winds would continue and urged residents to shelter indoors and avoid floodwaters.
Guam’s Department of Education closed schools Tuesday and Wednesday; officials said schools would remain shut until the governor deems conditions safe. The information center also reported multiple power outages across the island tied to the storm.
Typhoon warnings were in effect Tuesday evening for several islands in the Marianas chain, including Rota, Tinian, Saipan, Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan. Guam remained under a tropical storm warning and a typhoon watch.
In the western Pacific, “typhoon” refers to the same type of system called a “hurricane” in the Atlantic; storms with sustained winds above 150 mph are labeled “super typhoons.” Sinlaku briefly reached peak winds around 180 mph over open ocean on Sunday, making it the strongest storm to form this year and surpassing earlier systems Narelle and Dudzai.
Ahead of the storm, the White House approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Mariana Islands on Sunday.
CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said Sinlaku underwent an eyewall replacement cycle as it weakened from super typhoon strength. Radar showed a new eyewall forming around the old one, which then collapsed and expanded — a common process in intense tropical cyclones that often produces temporary weakening and slows a storm’s forward motion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.