Super Typhoon Sinlaku threatens Guam, Marianas with rare direct hit

Guam was bracing for a rare direct hit as Super Typhoon Sinlaku moved toward the U.S. territory and the nearby Marianas, with the National Weather Service in Guam warning it could strengthen into a Category 3 or 4 storm as it neared the islands. For communities that sit more than 3,700 miles west of Hawaii, the approach was not a distant Pacific weather story. It was a threat to American residents, military installations, airports and emergency systems spread across some of the most isolated U.S. communities.

Civilian and military agencies moved quickly to get people ready. Guam’s A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority told passengers to check inbound and outbound flight status with airlines and avoid unnecessary travel to the airport during unsafe weather. John “JQ” Quinata, the airport authority’s executive manager, urged travelers in the next four to six days to keep checking flight schedules. Joint Region Marianas said it would set Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 3 at 10 p.m. for all military installations, a threshold meaning damaging winds of 39 mph or more were expected within 48 hours.

Across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Governor David Apatang declared Typhoon Condition III for Saipan, Tinian and Rota after consulting with the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the National Weather Service Guam office. The storm had already brought heavy rain to Chuuk Lagoon, and forecasters said winds around 70 mph were possible as the system intensified. BNO News reported shelters opened on Guam and in the Northern Marianas as the forecast sharpened.

By April 13, the National Weather Service said a Typhoon Warning remained in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan, and that Super Typhoon Sinlaku would affect the Marianas through midweek. The weather service also said Guam could still see impacts into early next week. Forecasts called for large waves of 15 to 25 feet near Guam, 20 to 30 feet near Rota, and 30 to 40 feet near Saipan and Tinian through Wednesday, adding a coastal danger to the wind and rain threat.

The region’s urgency reflected recent memory as much as the current forecast. Typhoon Mawar in 2023 brought winds up to 140 mph, knocked out power across Guam and damaged structures, a reminder of how quickly island infrastructure can fail when a powerful storm crosses the archipelago. A direct strike from Sinlaku would again test whether distant American communities have enough shelter, transport, communications and recovery capacity when the ocean closes in around them.