CNMI diverts resources to Rota, prepares for Typhoon Mawar aftermath

The Northern Marianas was spared from the brunt of Typhoon Mawar but the CNMI Government still exercising caution as they prepare for a post-typhoon response on Rota 

"Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, you have dodged a bullet with this one…but still take care of your safety as the weather does push through the region," Landon Aydlett with the National Weather Service Guam said in a briefing this morning.  

That weather showing its force with tropical storm conditions on Saipan and Tinian and typhoon-force winds this afternoon on Rota. Viewer submitted videos showing Rota’s shoreline hammered by intense waves. 

Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog issued a shelter-in-place advisory at 10 a.m. Wednesday, highly encouraging residents to stay indoors. As of Wednesday morning, 24 people are in the government’s shelter there. 

"We are consolidating resources, trying to make sure that we provide Rota as much resources as they are going to need," CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios told KUAM today. 

Meanwhile, Rota Health Center’s generator has been down since December as it waits for parts from the states. And the new generator has been sitting on Saipan since March but weather conditions prevented boat transport. Their local DPW heavy equipment is also out of service.

"If we are going to be shipping anything it is going to have to be after the storm subsides," Palacios added. "We are going to send down a mechanic to see whether they can fix the [equipment] at DPW but we will have at least a backhoe moved to Rota in the coming days."

Palacios continues to work with federal partners as President Biden approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration.

Over on Tinian, Mayor Edwin Aldan told KUAM it is “like any other tropical storm.” He says some businesses are open and there aren’t storm-related medical emergencies. 

Focus now shifts to Rota and post-typhoon response. 

Palacios said, "We are praying for Guam. Post-storm we are looking to as we recover from Rota we are also looking to help our brothers and sisters in Guam."